


Inescapable

by Foarrin



Series: Inescapable + Irreversible Duology [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Curse Breaking, F/M, Fairy Tale Curses, Souls, dragon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 15:45:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15392085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foarrin/pseuds/Foarrin
Summary: The best villains have back up plans, but even Maleficent couldn't have predicted how deviously delicious her 'Plan M' would turn out. That is to say, Sleeping Beauty isn't the only baby Maleficent ever cursed. She cursed her own infant daughter, and now, years later, Mal must battle the terrible fate her mother wrote for her. Mal/Ben.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Descendants or its prequel Isle of the Lost, which I may draw on from time to time for background information.

_Prologue, 16 years ago_

"UGH! The brat cries day and night. I swear, she's such a nasty little thing, but she's driving me crazy!" Maleficent hissed at her company. She toyed with the end of her robe's sleeves and paced back in the other direction. Her boots clicked against the floor as she stomped over to the dresser drawer she had made into a crib for her infant daughter. Peering down at the squealing child, Maleficent puckered her purple-black lips as she thought. "It was truly worth cursing you. You curse me with crying, and I curse you for the rest of your life!" She laughed.

"Fantasizing about the glory days again, Maleficent?"

Maleficent looked over to the sofa where her company of...acquaintances sat. Villains never, by any means, made claims to having friends, and Maleficent would stick to that rule. She rolled her eyes. "No, E.Q., I told you I had achieved something glorious. That's why I invited you all." She glanced from Evil Queen to Cruella to Jafar. "Honestly, do you think I keep you all around because I want to?" She laughed at her own joke, to which no laughter was returned from the other three.

"What is it this time? A few months ago, you claimed to have thought the goblins on the garbage barges from Auradon were spying on you," Jafar said with a roll of his eyes.

Maleficent leaned against the desk on which her daughter's drawer-crib rested and pierced the junk salesman with her green eyes. "They were," she insisted sharply. Then she straightened up and waved a hand of dismissal, seemingly unbothered by Jafar's cheek. "No, but this is much better. You see, I think I've found a loophole in the magic here."

Immediately, the other three villains looked interested. Evil Queen looked away from her reflection, Cruella stopped filing her nails, and Jafar paused from stuffing his face with stale popcorn long enough to raise an eyebrow at the dark woman.

Maleficent's mouth curved into a sly grin. "Ah, yes. It's not much of a loophole, but I think it will come in handy when she's old enough." When her colleagues gave her quizzical looks, she just inclined her head to the squealing baby. Then she rolled her eyes and wrenched open the top desk drawer by her hip. She plucked out a grimy baby bottle filled with eyeballs floating in a thick slimy green substance. She pushed the nipple into the baby's mouth, and the child grew quiet as she sipped the formula.

"Now, what was I saying?" Maleficent asked. "Oh, right. I have placed a spell on my child that, given the event of our inevitable escape and world domination, she will not stray from my side."

"And how did you manage that?" Evil Queen asked. "There's no magic on the island, remember?"

Maleficent raised her index finger in a 'wait just a moment' gesture. "I'm aware of this, but as my blood and heir, I believe I was able to place a spell upon her that will activate the moment this stupid barrier drops and sets us free. It's a two-part spell, which makes it pretty cruel if I do say so myself." She flashed a dark grin at them. "If she dares to stray from her evil roots once we're off this island, she will suffer pain worse than death. And if she ever falls prey to the weakness of falling in love, this significant other that has tricked her into such weakness will be infected with an illness that no amount of spells, potions, or any other garbage can undo." She cackled at her own scheme. "It's magnificent!"

Cruella went back to filing her nails. She stopped again only to examine them. "This would only be if we ever do get off this island though. So it's pretty useless."

Maleficent frowned and just rolled her eyes as her acquaintances became engrossed in their activities again. She leaned down to her infant child, her mouth very close to the baby girl's face but still giving room for the bottle between them. "They're just thinking small, pumpkin," she said. "Someday, they'll see. And so will you if you don't do what Mommy says. Isn't that right, Mal?" She flicked a thick lock of bright purple hair back from the tot's eyes and grinned. Yes, with her guidance and foolproof spell, there was nothing to stop Mal from becoming the perfect heir to her throne of darkness. The spell would lie dormant inside the child and grow quietly as she did, so that one day, if the time really did come for a new reign of villains, Mal only need know about the spell if she crossed Maleficent. And that, surely, would never happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N from original upload to fanfiction.net (8/3/2015): If you liked this, give it a review, fave, and a follow! Future chapters should be longer. Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Foarrin


	2. Chapter 2

_Present Day_

"Ben?"

The party of the century was in full motion. Fireworks boomed overhead, sparking and fizzing in the sky above the castle's turrets. Every single one of Auradon's students was dancing and singing in celebration of a happy ending to the coronation and Maleficent's second demise.

"Ben!" Mal's voice rose to a screech that time.

Ben had gasped. His typical dazzling smile had vanished. A spark of pain in his eyes now replaced it. He was growing pale.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Mal asked, touching his arm. She was almost afraid to touch him from the amount of pain she could see in his eyes. It flared up, a wildfire eating at him. The sweat now dripping from his hairline couldn't be from dancing.

Around them, no one had noticed that the centerpiece of the party had stopped dancing. He had actually stopped moving at all except to breathe. As Mal watched him, Ben leaned forward against the railing separating him from a ten foot drop into the sea of writhing bodies below them. He closed his eyes and took forced breaths, sharp and shallow.

"Ben, please, what's wrong?" Mal prompted him, stepping closer. She wasn't sure he could even hear her over the pounding music.

"I'm fine," he exhaled.

Mal didn't believe him. His eyes were still closed, and his knuckles were white from the force of his grip on the banister. "Don't you start lying to me now," she snapped. She felt completely helpless, just standing there and watching and not knowing what to do. "Ben. Let's find your parents." She gave a light tug on his arm, hoping to spur him into moving away from the edge as the rail barely came up to his waist.

Instead, his hand slipped from the rail, and Mal lunged forward to catch him. His dead weight dragged her to the ground, but luckily not over the railing. Her eyes scanned his face in a panic, studying his breaths as she held him to her chest.

That's when she heard it. Or rather, she didn't. A silence began nearest to them, rippling outward to the edges of the crowd as people realized there was something wrong and turned to look in their direction.

Mal guessed that she looked like an awful sight with Ben laying unconscious on her chest. But when she saw Doug, Evie, Jay, and Carlos racing toward her, she couldn't remember why she cared.

"What happened?" Doug asked. He was holding Ben's crown that he had received just hours earlier. It must have fallen over the edge when she pulled Ben back onto the platform balcony, Mal guessed.

Mal shook her head. "I don't know."

Jay and Carlos bent down to hoist Ben up. They supported him between them, holding him up as Mal took Evie's hand and helped herself up. Ben's head lolled forward, bending his neck into a sharp angle so his chin pressed into his sternum.

"We have to get him inside," she said, avoiding the glances of their classmates. "Now!"

Getting Ben inside was easy. Getting former-King Beast to calm down was another thing entirely.

"I said it, didn't I?" Beast was saying as he paced in front of the empty fireplace in the sitting room of his castle. "I said he was too young to be king. Too young."

"Sweetheart," Belle began. She sat in an armchair that she had pulled close to the side of the couch where her son now lay motionless. She kept one hand on his head, stroking his hair, and the other in her lap, clenching a tissue repeatedly until it was nearly shredded. "He's probably just overheated. The events of this evening were..." She cast a wary glance toward Mal and the other three villain children as if scared she may revert them to their old ways if she didn't choose her words carefully. "...stressful."

Beast dragged a hand through his hair. "I know. What do you think, Fairy Godmother?"

Fairy Godmother had been studying Ben closely for a solid five minutes now. Her expression had wavered between worried and scared to death, both of which Mal hated to see on the good woman's face, particularly when it concerned Ben on the receiving end of the look.

"It seems unusual," Fairy Godmother began. "He has a fever and still hasn't regained full consciousness."

"It's a spell, isn't it?" Doug interjected, and everyone stared at him.

This made Fairy Godmother look especially nervous. "Now, I wouldn't jump to conclusions, and I - "

"My son has been cursed?" Beast snapped, rounding on the room at large. It seemed like he didn't know where to direct his anger for once. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Now, we didn't say that. I can't say whether it's a spell or not," Fairy Godmother said.

"It's a side-effect of being too close to Maleficent today! She must have cursed him while she was here or something!"

Mal crossed her arms over her chest. It wasn't as if she was going to defend her mother, but it also wasn't very kind of the Beast to immediately jump to blaming her mother for Ben's sudden illness. It could have been anything. But she turned her head just enough to catch Evie's eye, and the blue-haired vixen seemed to come to the same understanding she did: it probably wasn't Maleficent's doing, but with Mal's luck, it just might be.

"Spells and their effects come on fast, this is true," Fairy Godmother said slowly. Her eyebrows knitted together in uncertainty as she turned back to Ben. "But I hardly think - "

Ben twisted violently, his body jerking as if he had just dreamed of falling. Everyone in the room waited, barely daring to breathe as the new king writhed on the sofa. He groaned, his eyes darting from side to side under closed eyelids. His breathing quickened and his head tossed to the side.

"Ben?" both Mal and Belle said, the former taking a step forward.

Ben whined, his breaths becoming pants and more dire groans. He cried out, his hands springing into action to claw at his chest and throat. That's when Mal saw it: black tendrils snaking up Ben's neck and reaching toward his face as if some dark substance had been injected into his veins. The tendrils were slow-moving, like syrup.

Beast growled and leaped forward. He shoved his son's hands aside and tore at his shirt, ripping straight through the material so that the jacket and shirt cleaved open in a split down the center of Ben's chest. Several buttons bounced and rolled across the floor. But no one seemed to notice. They were all staring at the skin over the place where Ben's heart would be. It was as black as the night sky, and inching out from the mass were the tendrils. They stretched and slithered under the surface of his skin, a ghostly opaque blackness that was spreading toward Ben's neck and abdomen.

"Do something!" Beast shouted.

Fairy Godmother sprang into action. With luck, she hadn't returned her wand to the museum yet. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" She pointed her wand at Ben's chest, and the tendrils withered, recoiling into Ben's heart. He cried out as the tendrils wound themselves up. But the black skin over his heart remained.

"What is it?" Mal asked, stepping closer. Evie had grabbed her wrist in alarm when Ben had started screaming. Now, she pulled away to walk closer to the sofa. "Well?"

Fairy Godmother looked from Beast to Mal to Belle and then back to Mal. "I'm afraid Doug was right. And this spell looks like it runs deep."

"But you can stop it, right?" Mal asked.

Fairy Godmother pressed her lips into a thin line and looked back to Ben on the couch. He had quieted, but a layer of sweat shone on his chest. Instead of answering Mal, she looked back to Beast and said, "I think we should call the museum. It looks like I'll be needing my spell books too." She turned her attention back to Mal. "You and your friends should go. I need to concentrate."

"But," Mal said, watching as her friends immediately turned to leave. "No, I want to stay. Ben!"

But Ben didn't move. Too much of his body's energy seemed to be concentrated on keeping his lungs filled with oxygen.

Mal glanced to Beast and then to Belle. When no one said anything, she brushed past Fairy Godmother and crouched beside Ben. "You stay strong. You push through this," she said. She carefully pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Ben gasped, his eyes flying wide.

Mal recoiled instantly, fearing she had harmed him. She scanned his face, taking in his flushed and fevered cheeks and sweaty temples. And his eyes. His eyes were a bright green. A green she had known all her life and never wanted to see again. His eyes glinted with supernatural electric green power. But then it faded as quickly as it had flared. His eyes closed, and his head pressed back onto the sofa.

Mal shook her head, her gaze never leaving him as she stared in horror. No, it couldn't be. She couldn't have. Her mother hadn't had time to curse Ben. She had been there the whole time, and her mother hadn't uttered a spell. She hadn't, didn't, wouldn't have...

"See! This is Maleficent's doing!" Beast thundered.

"No," Mal exhaled. Hands seized her, and she barely had time to register that it was Jay hauling her to her feet. "No! Ben, please, wake up! Ben!" Jay pulled her roughly through the door, and the image of the sitting room blurred as tears sprung to her eyes. "BEN!"

Jay kicked the door shut, and she saw the life she had dreamed of for herself and Ben snap shut like bear trap too.


	3. Chapter 3

"I bet it's in there," Mal said, staring at her mother's spell book. The leather book lay a foot away from her on the bed. "I bet the curse she used is in there."

"But, like you said, none of us saw her cast anything," Evie reminded her kindly. It sounded as if she had rehearsed the sentence, and in fact, she had been keeping Mal from dissolving into tears again for the past hour.

"I know." Mal sighed and folded her hands in her lap. She was sitting directly in front of Evie on the bed, her back to the other girl and her legs crossed. Evie was currently styling her hair. Like what, she didn't care. Her thoughts were with Ben and Fairy Godmother. "Still nothing?" she asked, barely shifting her head to glance at Jay.

Jay looked up from his laptop where Mal knew he had been watching tourney videos the entire time. He leaned forward in the window seat and pulled the curtain aside. From there, Beast and Belle's castle would be visible to him. "Nope, still dark," he said and let the curtain fall back into place.

The castle had been dark since Mal's friends had left and dragged her back to her dorm. Now, Mal figured it was a waiting game. They would know when Ben was cured; they would, surely, tell her. But the castle looked like a painting, unmoving. Eventually, Mal had gotten tired of looking at it. That was when she put Jay on castle duty, Evie had decided to do her hair to distract her, and Carlos had ordered pizza.

"Carlos, I think Dude's had enough," Mal said, scowling in the de Vil boy's direction. He stopped with a pepperoni slice still in his hand where he was caught in the act of feeding yet another bit of meat to the dog. He ate it instead, looking chastised.

"Why don't you check the book then if you're worried about it?" Carlos said after swallowing.

"I've been through it before," Mal said. "I've read over all the spells."

Carlos shrugged a shoulder and closed the pizza box. "Maybe you missed it."

"Or maybe she just doesn't need to be reminded about it right now," Evie said.

Mal sighed and reached for the spell book. She earned a tug on her hair when she accidentally pulled out of Evie's grip.

"Sorry," Evie murmured as Mal readjusted her position on the bed and sat up straight again for Evie to continue combing and braiding her hair.

Mal diverted her attention to the spell book in her hands. Nothing mattered except making sure Ben recovered. Nothing mattered if he wasn't alright.

Anger coursed through Mal as she flipped the pages of the book. Every single spell was either a curse, an incantation for personal gain, or something else just as conceited. Then again, Mal thought, what spell book wasn't a cheater's manual when examined closely? And each spell description made her anger surge higher. There were spells to curse royalty and lovers, but the symptoms didn't seem like anything Ben had shown.

"Find anything?" Evie asked after a few minutes. She had finally stopped styling Mal's hair. Now, it was a curly purple waterfall of braids and loops set with faux amethysts that were left over from ones Evie had bought to sew onto Mal's dress for the coronation that afternoon.

"No." Mal wasn't even sure if she was more frustrated or relieved that her search was proving useless so far. On the one hand, she needed to know what curse Ben was under so they could cure him. But, yet, if the spell wasn't in her mother's book, she could pretend like it wasn't Maleficent's doing and she could pretend that it might go away on its own. She knew, of course, that pretending it wasn't happening and that it wasn't her mother's fault was completely foolish. She had seen his eyes. She knew it was Maleficent's fault. She just didn't know how.

She turned another page and frowned. She was now in the pages that were legendary; this much she knew. On her last time through, when looking for a spell to help her and her friends obtain Fairy Godmother's wand, she had skipped these few pages. They were spells specifically for cursing babies, and she thought they were quite pointless now too. But, she thought, she might as well be thorough.

On the left page began the spell that Maleficent had placed upon Sleeping Beauty. It was the curse that had undone her entire life up until her prince had saved her. Now, Mal scanned the page for the symptoms of the spell. It continued onto the right side and ended an inch from the bottom. It was there that a new spell began, but it had no title to identify it.

Instead, Mal froze. Written in the margin beside the new spell was the date of her own birth. It wasn't labeled as such, but it didn't need to be. If there was one singular thing her mother had been honest about, it was her birthday. Maleficent hated the day; apparently Mal's birth had been less than an enjoyable experience for the both of them. As such, Maleficent was uncannily grumpier on that particular day every year. Mal was certain that date was not wrong.

Hurriedly, she turned the page and read the spell. As her eyes traveled the page, something dark and deeply buried in her memory began to surface. It was almost like a dream, like one had while drifting between awake and asleep. It was something quite real but also distant and uncertain at the same time. It was something that she had long forgotten about, something her mother would sing to her every birthday as she fell asleep just before the date changed into the quite ordinary day after her birthday.

It was a lullaby. It was a curse.

She had known her mother was cruel, but this was taking it a step further. Mal had never suspected that her mother would ever put a spell on her. Besides, it didn't even make sense. There was no magic on the Isle of the Lost. Unless. Could it be possible that spells would take effect after the magical barrier was lifted? Could her mother have known, or at least guessed, that all along?

As she read through the few pages there were on the spell, she grew more and more sure that it was related to what was happening to Ben. If her mother hadn't cursed him that afternoon, she might have been able to do it before, right? She had to know. The incantation was long, but this spell was vague in how it worked. It had terminology that she hadn't run across in the previous spells she had used. There were things like 'dormant', 'triggers', and worst of all: 'symptoms vary by subject'. Out of context, she knew what those words meant. But for spells? They could mean things a lot worse. The book seemed to be taunting her with its vagueness.

"Evie, were's Doug?" she asked suddenly.

Evie looked away from her handheld Magic Mirror and raised an eyebrow. "In his room, probably. Why?"

Mal jumped up from the bed. She snapped the book shut. "I have to talk to him." She took a deep breath, and said, "Ben's going to die."

Yes, that was the one thing she knew she understood. If this spell on her was in effect and it really was causing Ben's illness, they were in trouble. The book said the symptoms vary by subject, but that it always ended in death.


	4. Chapter 4

A few minutes later, Mal was hammering on Doug's door. She was aware, of course, that it was well past curfew now, but it wasn't as if Fairy Godmother would come around the corner to tell her off. She slammed her fist against the door harder.

The door swung inward to reveal a very sour-looking boy her age. "Can I help you?" he asked, his dark eyes narrowing.

"I'm looking for Doug," Mal said, shifting forward to the balls of her feet to try to peer over the boy's shoulder into the room for a sign of Dopey's son. She was out of breath from running from her dorm to the boys', and frankly, she wasn't in the mood to deal with Sourface.

Before the boy could get out an answer, however, Doug appeared behind him wearing blue pinstripe pajamas. "Mal?"

"We need to talk," Mal said. She glanced pointedly to Doug's roommate, and Doug nodded in understanding. He slipped past the boy and shut the door after a soft promise that they wouldn't disturb him again.

"What's up? Any news on Ben?" Doug asked.

Mal shook her head. "No, but I thought you would be the person to go to if I needed help with a spell."

Doug's expression immediately turned wary. "I don't think casting more spells is going to help right now. And I think you should really be talking to Fairy Godmother." His hand moved toward the doorknob.

"No, please, Doug," Mal said quickly. She held up the spell book for him to see. "I think I found something."

"I can still hear you!" Doug's roommate called.

Doug sighed, casting an annoyed glance at the door. He focused his attention back on Mal. "This can't wait until morning?"

Mal shook her head. "No. We need to figure this out right now."

Doug nodded. "Give me a moment." He slipped back inside the room silently. He was only gone a moment, which was even far too long for Mal to bear. They had work to do! But he soon returned with a set of keys. At Mal's raised eyebrow, he said, "Keys to the library. I volunteer as an assistant when I don't have band practice, so they gave me a key. I figured since I always do my best thinking in there..." He shrugged a shoulder.

Mal nodded. "Fine, whatever, let's go."

Doug jogged to catch up with her as she was already speeding down the hallway in search of the stairs. "By the way, don't mind Gregory. He's not pleasant to anyone at any hour. Grumpy's son, you know."

"Charming," Mal said, though she couldn't find it in herself to care about Gregory or any of the dwarves' sons past Doug right then.

Mal explained what she had learned about her mother's spell book as they walked. They soon reached the library and stepped inside. Doug remained quiet, a calculating look on his face as he turned on a few lamps surrounding a study table in the back of the library.

"Well?" Mal prompted him, impatient. His eerie silence the entire time she had been explaining was unnerving enough. Now that she was done, she wanted him to start spouting answers.

"Well, it's all really strange," Doug said, sitting in one of the plush chairs at the table. Mal took the seat across from him. "Can I see the spell?"

Mal opened the book to the spell, which she had dog-eared, and pushed the book across the table to him. She waited, tapping her foot nervously against the carpet as he read over it.

"You said she sang this to you every birthday?" Doug asked, his eyes not leaving the page he was on.

"Yeah, as I was falling asleep. But how could it be working if she cast it while on the Isle?"

Doug turned the page and kept reading. "Well, it could be that the spell worked but could never show effects until allowed to. That is to say that it latched onto you, but the magical barrier kept it from harming you whenever you doubted your mother's teachings or something. You get the idea. So, when you came here and started questioning her even more, the immunity your body had built up to the spell started to unravel. Then you did that whole big announcement at the coronation about wanting to be good, and well, the curse probably took that as the cue to push through."

Mal frowned at him. "So why wasn't Ben affected then? Why is he being affected at all? And why am I still fine?"

"It just says here that the triggers for the spell are disobedience and love," Doug said. "And it appears to affect the person who causes you to love."

"Ok, and? What does that mean exactly?"

"I think it means that if you directly disobey your mother or fall in love, it activates the spell. That's also what it means by being dormant. If you were to never disobey her or fall in love, you wouldn't ever feel its effects. It looks as if your mother meant for this to be a precaution to prevent being overthrown by the only person who actually could do it: you. And, well, you triggered both parts of the spell today in one go, but because you had built up sixteen years of immunity to the spell, it hasn't started hurting you yet. Or, it could be that this 'pain worse than death' you'll experience is watching Ben suffer." Doug grimaced the instant the words were out of his mouth, and he looked up at Mal sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Mal shrugged a shoulder. "My mom's cruel. I wouldn't put it past her for that to be my punishment."

Doug frowned, looking unsure. "Maybe. But I doubt it. A spell this big is going to have big effects, especially if it's been building up every time she repeats the incantation to you. Right now, your own magic is probably fighting it. As for Ben, he doesn't have any magic, so he was overcome within hours."

Mal watched him closely as she asked her next question. "How long does he have?"

"It's..." Doug looked back down at the page, his fingers toying with the corner. "It's hard to tell. It says the symptoms vary. Really, it could make him suffer for weeks before it kills him. Or it could be as little as days, hours."

Mal nodded, thinking. A lump was forming in her throat again, and she instantly wished Evie was there to stroke the back of her hand and tell her it would be alright. "What about me? How long until something happens to me?"

"Again, it's hard to tell. If your punishment is watching Ben suffer, then it's already happening. But, it could also be making your biggest fear reality or having horrible nightmares or anything. Mal, I really have no idea."

"Well, it's not my worst fear. That was always disappointing my mother," Mal said. Then she frowned, because she realized that having broken her mother's reign of terror over her that afternoon had also been directly facing her biggest fear. That meant a new fear could move in just as easily.

Doug nodded. "Right."

"What about the Enchanted Lake?" Mal asked suddenly, remembering that Ben had said her love spell on him had washed away when he went swimming.

"What about it?"

"Doesn't it have, like, mystical healing and cleansing powers?"

"Yes, but you're talking about a spell that's been repeatedly applied. It's powerful and reinforced from years of dormancy. It's had time to grow strong. You can't just wash this away."

"What about the rocks in the lake? The ones that glow?" Mal asked.

Doug shook his head. "Same thing. Wishing won't help either. From the incantation, it looks as though your mother's made this virtually impenetrable."

Mal fell silent then, her mind turning with thoughts, most of them angry revenge plots. She pulled one foot into her chair and wrapped her arms around her leg. Hugging her thigh to her chest, she rested her chin on her knee. Quickly, thoughts about revenge on her mother were replaced by those of Ben. If the spell couldn't be undone, how long did she have left with him? Would he even regain consciousness long enough to speak before he passed?

A tear rolled down her cheek. She pressed her mouth against her knee in an attempt to control herself and not burst into sobs. Ben had wanted to teach her how to swim. He had said so on the way back from their date. She had been excited, too, at the idea of spending more time with him, especially in a place that had felt so isolated, so romantic, so...theirs.

She swallowed and raised her head. "What can we do?"

Doug had closed the book and was now focused on her. He gave her a sympathetic smile, just an upward twitch of the corners of his mouth. "Hope Fairy Godmother has better answers than we do. Sadly, this isn't something that can be solved by one of the classic answers, like True Love's First Kiss."

Mal actually managed a laugh at that, though it came out throaty and touched with sadness. "Yeah, I don't think my mom would have chosen that as the solution to one of her curses again." She fell quiet for a moment. Then, struck by an idea, asked, "Fairy Godmother closed the magic barrier around the Isle after the coronation, right?"

Doug nodded. "Yeah. Only your mother escaped."

"What if..." Mal swallowed, honestly wishing the words about to come from her mouth weren't her only idea. "What if I went back? If I went back to the Isle, would it contain the spell? Would Ben be ok?"

Doug's eyebrows knitted together in uncertainty. "Well...the magic barrier would likely stop the spell from affecting Ben, yes, but Ben also risked a lot for you and your friends to even be here. Going back, well, the people on the Isle saw what happened at the coronation on the TVs there. I don't think they'd be very happy with you if you went back."

"But, you're saying it would work...?" Mal asked slowly, wanting him to confirm it.

Doug looked uncomfortable. "Probably. Maybe. I don't know. If the spell has already infected Ben, going back to the Isle might not even be enough to stop it. Besides, that's not what Ben would want. Even if it worked and he recovered, it's completely possible that coming back to Auradon later would reactivate the curse and make it start all over. In that case, you would have to live on the Isle forever, and that's not what Ben would want. He wouldn't want you to be unhappy."

"Yeah, well, I don't want him to be dead, either," Mal snapped. She slid her foot back to the floor and crossed her arms over her chest. She hated people poking holes in her plans. She definitely hated hearing that if she wanted Ben to be safe and this was her only plan, that it might mean never seeing Ben again. She didn't want that as an option.

"Come on," Doug said, pushing back his chair and standing. "Don't consider the Isle as an option right now. I wouldn't until you talk to Fairy Godmother at least. In the meantime, we should get some rest."

Mal shook her head. "I don't think I can."

"Well, then you can always stay here and do research."

"Hm?"

Doug gestured to the bookcases. "You're in the best place to figure out a solution to a spell. All the answers to past fairy tale riddles and curses are here, among other things."

Mal bit the inside of her cheek, glancing at the towers of books. "I wouldn't know where to start."

For the next ten minutes, Mal and Doug pulled books from the shelves that either of them deemed potentially helpful. When they returned with their respective armloads of books, they set to work. For an hour, Doug helped Mal sort through books like  _1000 Cures to Common Curses_  and  _Victims of Villains: A Guide to the Most Mysterious Murders of the Last Millennium._ After that, he left Mal to the rest, saying that he was no use to her when tired and promising to return in the morning to pick up wherever she left off.

Once left to herself, Mal's thoughts drifted back to Ben and what Doug had said. He was right; Ben would want her to be happy. But, still, her thoughts nagged at her. How could she really know what Ben would say if he was unconscious and slipping farther and farther away?


	5. Chapter 5

"Mal, wake up."

Mal groaned softly and blinked open her eyes. Bright sunlight streamed in through the library windows, blinding her for a moment. She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. "What? What time is it?" she asked.

"Don't worry, it's just almost eight," Doug said. He set a fresh stack of books down at her table but didn't sit down. "So, uh, did you not find anything?"

"Do you think I would have fallen asleep here if I had?" she asked, but it lacked venom. She was still frustrated, but she hadn't even properly woken up yet.

"I figured as much." He started sorting through the books and arranging them on the table in some type of silent system. He glanced at her and then froze, his eyes wide. "Uh, Mal?"

"What?" Mal asked, looking at the book she had fallen asleep on top of. She sighed and closed it before pushing it aside. She crossed her arms on the table and laid her head down on top of them. She frowned at Doug because he was still staring at her. "Seriously, what?"

"You've got..." Doug swallowed and tapped the top of his head. "You've got horns."

Mal sat up, her hands immediately going to her hair. She patted her way up from her ears to the top of her head. Her fingers found something hard and slick...two of them. She slid her fingers up the protrusions, feeling their thickness. Upon feeling two pinpricks, she gasped. "Oh no." It felt like two incredibly sharp tusks had grown out of the top of her head. They were sticking a full inch out of her hair, unable to be hidden by her purple do that Evie had created. She stared back at Doug, her fingers wrapped tightly around the two protrusions. "I have horns," she said breathlessly.

Doug just nodded stiffly. He seemed afraid to speak.

"Keep working," Mal said and flew out of her chair.

She didn't look back as she ran from the library. Sprinting the short distance across the Auradon Prep campus, she saw no one on her way to her dorm. Luckily, it was Saturday so that meant very few people would be out and about right then. When she burst into her room, Evie was sitting on the edge of Mal's bed and brushing through her hair as she examined herself in the full-length mirror.

"Hey, you didn't come back last night," Evie said and frowned when Mal slammed the door shut. "What's going on?" The question came slower as Mal's reflection had replaced Evie's in the mirror.

Mal leaned so close to the mirror that her breath began to fog the surface. Growling, she wiped a hand over the mirror to get rid of the residue. She brushed her fingers over the horns on her head again now. She didn't want to believe it, but there they were. If she had worn a headband, they would have stabbed through it overnight.

"Mal, what are those?" Evie asked, stepping up behind her in the mirror.

Mal lowered her hands but continued to stare at the sleek black horns on her head. "They're horns," she said softly. But in her mind the sentence sounded a lot like,  _They're hers._

"They look like..." Evie swallowed. "...like your mom's." That earned her a scowl from Mal.

The bedroom door opened then, and both girls spun around as Jay and Carlos walked in.

"Knock much?" Mal snapped, side-stepping so she was hidden partially behind Evie.

"Hey, ease up," Jay said, giving her a warm smile. "We know the kingdom's falling apart, but we were just hoping to grab breakfast."

"Is this all just a big joke to you?" Mal asked. "Ben is dying and you want to go get a breakfast burrito?!"

Jay's grin faltered. "No. I just thought...you still have to eat."

"Mal, what's up with your hair?" Carlos asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing's up with my hair. It's just bedhead," Mal huffed.

"Mal, you've got..." Jay trailed off as Mal stomped over to him and snatched the beanie off his head. She rammed it onto her head and pulled it down over her ears.

"I know I've got...stuff growing out of head, alright?" Mal said. "I'll handle it. Come on, let's just go get breakfast."

Before anyone else could say anything, she turned and left the room.

"You know, that beanie really clashes with your hair," Evie said as the four friends sat down at an outside table. They had chosen to eat at one of the cafes on campus, which was open early for breakfast.

Mal glared at her as she unwrapped her sausage and egg bagel sandwich. "I think the horns clash more," she said.

The four ate in silence for several minutes until Carlos and Jay started talking about tourney and videogames. Evie started to say something about Jay's hair, and that was when Mal tuned them all out. She picked at her sandwich, pulling off chunks of sausage to eat and pushing the fried egg across the plastic.

"Mal?"

Mal looked up and stared at Fairy Godmother. The woman stood beside their table, fidgeting with her hands at her waist. "Fairy Godmother. Is he ok?" She pushed back her chair, standing. Fear made her throat tighten. "He's not..." She couldn't even bring herself to say it.

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "No, no, he's holding on. But you...you had better come with me."

Mal glanced back at her friends before following after Fairy Godmother. She fell into step beside the woman as she led her away from the cafe and down the sidewalk. "Are you taking me to see him?"

Fairy Godmother nodded. "Yes, we believe he's been asking for you."

Mal frowned. "What does that mean that you 'believe' he's been asking for me?"

"I managed to delay the curse for most of the night, but it kept pushing back stronger each time. To put it extremely lightly, he's in some sort of nightmare half of the time. He's talking in fragments in his sleep. He says 'Mal' from time to time, but we aren't sure if he means you or..."

"My mother," Mal finished. If he was speaking in fragments, it could easily be the case that he meant Maleficent and just wasn't able to get the whole word out. She sighed. "Doug and I have been searching for a cure."

"Yes, Doug sent a message to the castle early this morning. He explained what you found out from your mother's spell book and what you two have concluded." Fairy Godmother turned down another sidewalk. Beast and Belle's castle was looming closer and closer. "Has it started affecting you yet?"

Mal considered keeping the information to herself for moment. But perhaps, it was best not to lie. "Yes." She hurried on to say, "But it's Ben we need to worry about. I'm fine."

Fairy Godmother glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Mal nodded quickly. "Ben's in danger. Me...I...I can handle myself for the time being."

Fairy Godmother nodded, and they continued in silence until they had entered the castle and were outside the door of the sitting room. The woman stopped just in front of the door, blocking Mal's path. "I have to warn you..." She took a deep breath. "It's not just nightmares. You won't like what you see."


	6. Chapter 6

The curtains had been closed in the sitting room. It was dark and somber, with only small lamps lit around the outskirts of the room. Where the couch had been was now a bed, though it bore the same pattern as the couch had. Mal guessed Fairy Godmother had magicked it into a bed to better accommodate the ailing boy.

Mal's eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light. Beast stood at the corner bookcases, staring at the spines. He looked empty and lost as if what had been alive in him was quickly crumbling. His wife sat on the edge of the bed, holding Ben's hand and stroking the back of it. Her eyes were red and puffy, and used tissues littered the floor beside her.

Fairy Godmother walked past Mal, moving to Belle's side. She touched the woman's shoulder and said something to her before picking up the tissue box and offering her a fresh one.

Mal stayed by the door, afraid to move forward. Everything was silent, like a funeral service. If someone had sneezed, it would have been the equivalent to an explosion.

Ben whined, spurring Mal into action. She walked over to the side not currently occupied by his mother and peered down at him. He was covered in sweat, his hair sopping wet. The covers were only drawn up to his waist, and Mal immediately saw why. The black mass that had taken hold of his heart was thriving, its tendrils having wound themselves through all the veins in his torso. They curled around his navel and his shoulders, reaching out for his hips and biceps.

His eyes were restless under their lids, and his chest rose and fell rapidly. If they were her mother's doing, Mal didn't want to imagine what kind of nightmares he might be having.

His head tossed to the side, and he groaned. The sound was slightly muffled by the pillow. His hands clenched into fists, and Belle drew back with a cry. Mal looked over to her. She was shaking her head.

"It's alright," she insisted to Fairy Godmother as the woman pressed tissues to her hand. "He already got me earlier this morning." Her hand was bleeding, covered in deep slashes.

Mal looked at Ben's hands and saw what had caused it. Instead of normal fingernails, claws had sprouted from his fingertips. Now, as he clenched his fists tighter in his fit, his palms bled freely on the yellow sheets.

"Can't you do something?" Mal asked.

Fairy Godmother glanced up from tending to Belle's hand. "I've tried. He only gets worse if I focus spells on the claws." She nodded to the bed. Mal stepped closer and focused her eyes on the sheets. She hadn't noticed at first, but they were shredded in the places closest to Ben's hands. Claws had ripped through them, and blood stained the sheets in more than a few places. Scorch marks and burn holes marred the bed as well. Looking back at Ben, she saw claw marks stretched up his forearms as if he had had a bad itch he couldn't resist.

"Why haven't you bandaged him?" Mal asked. "He's losing blood."

Fairy Godmother looked solemn as Belle looked back at her son and began stroking the back of his hand again. "We have," the headmistress said. "But, his body must sense it. Well, the curse must sense it, I mean. Every time we've tried, there's green fire that burns through the bandages and starts him bleeding all over again. The curse won't let us heal him." She looked back to Ben. "This is the best he's been all night, I'm afraid."

Mal carefully sat on the edge of the bed out of reach of his claws. "I understand," she said softly. "And I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault," Belle said.

"It is," Mal said. "I fell in love with him, so it is my fault." She was silent for a moment, examining his claws. "Is he becoming..." She trailed off and glanced pointedly at Beast's back.

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "No, the claws don't seem to be related to a beast form. They're there so he'll harm himself, I figure. And the cuts will start getting infected. Fluid has started to build in his lungs." She grew quiet and apologized when Belle started crying again.

Mal reached for his hand, cautious in the event that his claws might catch her. When she touched him, he flinched and opened his eyes.

"Mal," Ben said, his voice no more than a whisper. "Mal?"

She moved closer so that she would be in his line of sight. She slid her fingers underneath his, lightly stroking his palm. "I'm here, Ben. I'm so sorry."

"Mal?" His voice rose, and his eyes searched for her. White, fogged eyes. Blind eyes.

She looked to Fairy Godmother in horror, and the woman swallowed. "He lost his sight around four this morning. His hearing has started to go too."

Mal looked back to Ben's face. He looked like a lost puppy, his eyes searching frantically. She squeezed his hand. "Ben! Ben, I'm here!" she said loudly. To her, her voice sounded like a cannon in a void. "It's Mal. Please, you have to be alright. I love you. I love you."

At her words, his eyes glowed with green power. His hand snapped shut, and she cried out as his claws tore through her skin.

"Remove her!" Beast snapped.

Mal pulled free of Ben's grip and stood. She stared as he thrashed on the bed, green fire glowing around his hands now. She shook her head, not wanting to believe it. Not wanting to believe she could cause him that much pain by saying three simple words.

She backed up to the door, unable to pull her eyes away as she saw Belle and Beast approach their son. They held each other, watching as Fairy Godmother rushed to extinguish the flames that took to the bed. She did nothing about the ones on Ben's body, but the flames didn't seem to be hurting his skin as much as they were trying to set the room on fire. He was screaming now, crying.

Mal reached behind her, found the door handle, and let herself out. She ran all the way back to campus, forcing herself to believe that the more distance she put between her and Ben, the safer he would be. She had to leave. She couldn't let him die, especially not like that.

She packed, shoving her clothes and all her important possessions into a bag. Once she had zipped it closed, she sat on the edge of her bed. The tears came faster than she had anticipated, hard sobs ripping from her throat as she slipped Ben's ring off her index finger. She pulled a scrap of paper and a pen from her bedside table and scribbled a quick note on it. She laid the note on her bed and set Ben's ring on top of it.

"I'm sorry," she said to the ring. She drew the back of her hand across her face, trying to wipe her tears away. She slung her bag over her shoulder and left the room, praying Evie would forgive her for forcing her to find a new roommate.


	7. Chapter 7

"It'll be ok, Evie," Jay said, his arm around the girl's shoulders.

"How do you know?" Evie said, sniffling. "She's gone. She didn't even say goodbye."

"What about the note?" Carlos asked, leaning forward in his seat to peer at Mal's bed. "What does it say?"

Evie rolled her eyes and huffed. "I already checked; it's for Ben."

"Oh."

The three friends fell silent, save for Evie's soft sniffles. She had already destroyed her makeup from crying once she had found out that Mal left.

"She has to come back though," Jay said, glancing out the window.

Evie shook her head. "I talked to Doug. If she went to the Isle, she won't even be able to contact us once the barrier closes behind her. And if the curse works like Doug thinks it does, she won't be able to come back at all. Or Ben will die."

"But it's Mal," Carlos said. "She...she can't be gone. She has to come back."

Evie pinned him with a tearful glare. "And she loves Ben. You honestly think she'd rather stay here and watch him die, knowing it's her fault?"

"It's not her fault though," Jay said with a sigh.

"The curse isn't. But she wouldn't ever forgive herself for staying if Ben died because she refused to leave. You know that." Evie wiped at her eyes and sighed when her fingers came away with black smudges.

* * *

The door suddenly opened, and an extremely winded Ben stumbled into the room. He clutched a stitch in his side. "Where is she?" When he had suddenly woken up from his nightmares, Fairy Godmother had been able to heal him and briefly explain the situation before he had insisted on running out the door. He hadn't even put on a shirt. As far as he figured, his parents and the headmistress would be right behind him. He was just lucky he was faster than the three of them. Still, his strength hadn't returned, and he felt close to fainting from the sprint to the dorms.

"Ben!" Evie exclaimed. "You...you're alright." Then she dissolved into sobs, leaning against Jay's shoulder.

"Yeah, I am. Where's Mal?" Ben asked. He gripped one of the supporting posts of Mal's bed. "Fairy Godmother said she would be gone. Is she really?"

Evie just pointed a shaking hand toward Mal's pillow, and Ben turned around. His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight of the paper and his ring. She couldn't have just left. She couldn't have left his ring too.

He sat on the bed and reached for the note. His hands were shaking, partly due to his emotions and also because of his injuries. Both forearms were covered in bandages, hiding horrible dark scabs and bruises that Fairy Godmother hadn't healed yet. She had said she was afraid they would leave scars if she healed them too quickly. As for his fingertips, they were sore and quite tender to anything he touched. They had said he had had claws. Making them morph back into normal nails had hurt.

He set the ring on his knee and stared at the note silently. Tears slid down his cheeks. It wasn't even more than a few lines, but the thought that this would be the only goodbye he got from the girl he loved made everything within him hurt.

"Ben." Fairy Godmother huffed at him, and he looked over his shoulder to find the woman and his parents standing in the doorway. "You should be resting."

"She's gone," Ben said. "Mal's gone." Really gone.

"How did she even leave?" Carlos asked, looking from Fairy Godmother to Ben.

"I let our driver take her," Beast said.

"You just let her leave?" Ben asked, his voice threatening to break. Belle moved to sit beside him and pulled him into a hug. She stroked his hair.

Beast huffed. "We didn't have a choice. Having her stay here was killing you. You wouldn't even be alive if she hadn't left."

"But she's coming back, right?"

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "We have to break the curse first, Ben. And we don't know how."

"Then figure out how to break it. I want to see her."

"No, you're going to rest. And I won't have you going to the Isle at all," Beast said.

"I can't just sit here," Ben argued, pulling away from his mother. He stood, and his ring fell to the floor. He huffed and bent to pick it up. "I refuse to just sit here." He straightened back up, but he quickly moved to grip the pole of the bed as the room spun.

"You will rest, and that is an order," Beast said, his voice building into a growl. "Those people on the Isle hate us, and they will kill you."

"No, they hate you. You sent them there."

Beast opened his mouth to respond, but Belle shot him a look to silence him. She turned her attention back to Ben. "Maybe, you should agree to rest tonight. And then we can discuss you going to the Isle after you've recovered. Agreed?" She looked between the two men.

Beast huffed. "Fine."

Ben reluctantly nodded and sat back down on the bed. He smoothed Mal's note out on his leg and reread it. The ring was clutched tightly in his hand. "I have to see her, Mom."

"I know, sweetheart," Belle said, rubbing his back. "But you do need to rest."

He nodded, trying to focus on the words written on the paper instead of the tears welling up in his eyes. He already had the words memorized, and he wished he didn't.

_Ben,_   
_I'm sorry I couldn't give you a fairy tale ending. You deserve one._   
_-M_

Yeah, but so do you, he thought.


	8. Chapter 8

Mal sat at the foot of her old bed, her knees drawn to her chest. A flimsy food container sat beside her, and she picked at the contents. As soon as the driver had dropped her off, she had grabbed an order of fish and french fries from Ursula's fish and chips stand. She had actually stolen it, which she wouldn't have considered a big deal a few weeks ago. But now, she felt guilty eating the stolen food. It wasn't as if she had had anything to barter or pay with though. She had only brought essentials from Auradon, not money.

Now, she had returned to her old home where she had lived with her mother all her life. It was just as horrible and depressing as she remembered it. Covered in darkness and cobwebs and drained of all love, it was hollow. Of course, that was how Mal felt anyhow. She had left behind her friends and the only boy who had ever cared enough to break down her walls. She reasoned that it had been a fantasy too good to last, and maybe, this was more than just her mother punishing her. It was fate; villains' kids never got happy endings.

She knew she was being stupid. It was the atmosphere of the Isle pressing in on her, suffocating her. All she could see were her friends' smiling faces and even that kept shifting into the more recent images of Ben struggling to stay alive in his room.

She wasn't even sure if Ben was alright. Upon entering her mother's loft, she had turned on the TV, hoping to hear something...anything about Ben. But there was no news. All the reporters said was that the royal family had left on a holiday to celebrate Ben's coronation, and she knew that was the story given to cover up Ben's disappearance. So she had turned off the TV and sat in silence instead.

Diablo squawked, flying in from an adjoining room. He dived and snatched Jay's beanie off her head.

"Hey, give it back," Mal snapped, jumping to her feet.

The raven perched on her headboard, the beanie held in his beak. He cocked his head, staring at her.

"Yeah, I know, I've got her horns," Mal said. "Get out, you stupid bird." She lunged at him, and he squawked again, taking flight and dropping the cap on her bed. She made to swat at him, and he dove out the window between the curtains.

She huffed and stomped over to the window, pushing the curtain aside so she could reach the lock. She must have left it open the last time she sneaked out before leaving the island. Locking it, she glanced in the direction of Auradon. Beast and Belle's castle was lit up, nearly all of the lights on. Her heart lifted a little, feeling as if that had to be a good sign. If the castle was lively again after her being gone only twelve or so hours, Ben had to be alright. Right?

Letting the curtain fall back into place, she turned back to her bed and picked up the beanie. Pulling it back on, she looked to the fireplace. It was well after sunset now, and the fire she had built in her room's fireplace had dwindled to embers. Crouching in front of the fire, she sorted through the pile of her mother's things which she had grabbed from her mother's room earlier. She ripped a cloak into strips and tossed the shreds into the fireplace. She added pages from old magazines and prodded the fire to life with the poker that sat beside the hearth.

As far as she figured, if her mother wasn't coming back in the next millennium, it was fine to burn her things. Maleficent deserved it at the very least. Plus, she reasoned, it would keep Diablo from flying down the chimney anytime soon.

After the fire was crackling lively, she sat back on the floor. She munched on a cold fish stick, thinking. She wasn't planning on staying at her old home through the night. It wasn't safe. She had evaded old classmates and other familiar faces in the town that afternoon, but she knew she wouldn't be able to for long. She was too recognizable, and people knew Maleficent was gone. Her reign on the Isle had crumbled when she had left and gotten turned into a lizard. It would no longer be safe for Mal to freely roam the streets when she was also responsible for her mother's defeat. Evie, Jay, and Carlos weren't there to help her. And their parents wouldn't be happy with her either for destroying their only chance at an escape. She had to leave.

Finishing her fish sticks and fries, she stood and wiped her hands on her pants. She had to get out while people were still too wary to approach her. She packed up what little she wanted from her old room while thinking about the best route to take to her mother's old fortress. She had visited it weeks ago when Maleficent had sent her and her friends to retrieve the Dragon's Eye Scepter. It was located on a smaller island still within the barrier. As magic had returned to just its private location when the scepter came back to life, she figured that it could sustain itself. Meaning, it could produce food. Apples and other fruits and vegetables, she guessed, would not be too much to ask of it, surely.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and moved to the window. Unlocking it, she pushed it open and climbed out onto the ledge. It wasn't long before her feet hit the pavement below, and she moved through the alleys behind her house and the surrounding shops. She walked that way for a while, keeping to the alleys and the shadows. If she could make it to the docks and find a goblin barge to take her to the fortress's island, she would be safe. Well, as safe as she could get.

A good twenty minutes later, Mal rounded the corner behind the bait shop and stopped. A golden glow shimmered just off Auradon's shore, looking like a sunrise. But it was odd; she had seen it before. And then she realized, it was the golden road forming to bridge the gap between the mainland and the Isle. She had entered the same way just that morning, the road having formed itself in front of the limo and then disappearing from behind the limo as they had driven toward the Isle. Now, someone else was entering. But she didn't see any vehicles. Yet...the golden road was still forming and deforming fluidly, slowly progressing in the direction of the broken bridge as if someone or something was indeed crossing on it.

She backtracked, keeping to the back walls of buildings even as moonlight fell across her feet and legs. Her eyes never left the golden strip of magic getting closer. Then she realized, when the mass of golden road was about halfway to the Isle, that it was a person running on the road toward the Isle. A horrible, sinking sensation spread from her stomach to her toes. Her heart beat faster. Her fingers tingled in anticipation and fear as she moved faster toward the bridge.

Then the magic barrier opened as if on command as the person approached it. Light lit up their face, and Mal swallowed.  _Idiot._


	9. Chapter 9

Ben slowed to a stop to catch his breath. He pressed the button on the golden remote in his hand, and the magic barrier shut behind him in a glimmer of light. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the lights in the castle. They were already looking for him. And it wasn't like they couldn't get to him. As soon as they verified he wasn't in the castle, they would find one of the other remotes or Fairy Godmother and reopen the barrier. He had to find Mal. Fast.

Slipping the remote into his pocket, he looked around. Everything was dark and crumbling. Was the Isle really this badly off? Was it true that they lived in a constant state of poverty with no way to escape it? No farmland, no paying jobs because they all stole from each other, no hope - those were all the textbook terms he had learned in reading up on the Isle, but until he was standing there at the mouth of the city, he hadn't really believed it. Not like this.

He walked forward, the moon and the lights of Auradon his only guides to the streets before him. He thought about where Mal might be. She had only briefly told him about the loft she and her mother had lived in, and he had no idea where that was.

A crash caught Ben's attention. A metal trashcan had seemingly launched itself into the street and now rolled past him. He looked to his left, where the trashcan had come from. Cautiously, he walked forward, peering into the shadows of the alley. "Mal?"

Then hands grabbed him from behind. "Hey!" A hand closed over his mouth, but he didn't have the strength to struggle.

* * *

Mal kept her hand firmly clamped over Ben's mouth as she tugged him behind a dumpster. "Are you crazy? You're lucky that it was me," she snapped, trying to keep her volume to a whisper even though she was both happy and angry to see him. She had thrown the trashcan into the street to get his attention. She lowered her hand and smacked his arm when she saw he was grinning. "You're going to get yourself killed."

Ben sobered and frowned at her. "Nothing is going to kill me more than not being with you."

Mal glared at him. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and forget that either one of them was cursed. "Stop being cute, I'm serious," she said.

"So am I. You left me a note, Mal. A note." He stuck his hand in his pocket and withdrew the piece of paper she had left him that morning. "Do you know how awful this was to get?"

Mal turned her head away. "I knew you wouldn't be safe until I left."

"But, look, I'm safe now. I'm not in danger."

Mal laughed and looked back at him, searching his eyes for the sign he was surely joking. He looked serious. "Not in danger? Where do you think you are exactly? The barrier may keep my mother's curse from hurting either one of us, but you are anything but safe. There are gangs of people who will want to hurt both of us. Me for betraying my mother and you for being...well, you."

"Then come back to Auradon. We can find a way to break this curse," Ben pleaded.

Mal shook her head. "Don't you understand? As soon as I cross that barrier, you'll relapse. If I stay here, you're safe. You'll always be safe."

"Yeah, maybe. But I won't be happy, and neither will you. This isn't where you belong, and you know that. In your heart, Mal, you know that staying here just to keep me safe is wrong." He gripped both her hands in his. "We can break this curse. I know it."

Mal snatched her hands away. "No, you don't. I don't know what they told you when you woke up, but we can't break this. Not in time, at least. It was less than twenty-four hours, Ben. In less than a day, you were blind and losing your other senses as well. If I go back, the curse could be stronger. We've tried everything."

She didn't want to give up. In fact, she hoped her friends in Auradon wouldn't give up until she could go back without hurting Ben. But she also didn't want Ben to get found by the other residents of the Isle. There was no telling what would happen if they did. She had to make him leave. Now.

Ben took her hands again. "You haven't tried talking to your mother."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "She's a lizard. That's not exactly helpful."

"Fairy Godmother could turn her back. Just long enough for you to talk to her. There are spells she could use to keep her contained. She wouldn't be a danger to anyone."

Mal shook her head. "It's too dangerous, Ben. And Fairy Godmother would never do that."

"Yes, she would, if I told her to. Some distinct privileges come with being king, you know." He laughed, and she couldn't help but smile too. His warmth and happiness had always been contagious to her, and it sparked a warmth in her heart again. It sparked hope.

"You'd be leaving yourself vulnerable to the curse again. Fairy Godmother already told us after the coronation that my mother couldn't be moved safely back to the Isle. She has to stay under surveillance in Auradon. You want me to go back just to ask her questions she won't answer?"

"How do you know? Maybe she's had a change of heart."

Mal laughed at that because that, if anything, was truly funny. "I doubt it."

Ben squeezed her hands. "Try. That's all you can do. You try, and if you're right and she won't give you an answer on how to break this..."

"I'll come back here," Mal finished for him, her voice firm. "If I don't convince her to tell me, I have to come back here."

Ben was silent, frowning. But he slowly nodded. "It's a deal. But I have faith. You can be incredibly persuasive." He winked.

Mal rolled her eyes at his attempt to be sweet. Then she looked down at their hands when she felt one his hands move and slide something onto her index finger. "Ben, I -"

Ben looked up at her, holding her gaze with his own. "Whether we're right next to each other or a thousand miles apart, I want you to wear this." He brushed his thumb over the ring. "I still want you to wear it. Wherever you are, you will always be mine." He leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers.

Mal blinked at this sudden action, but she quickly fell into the kiss. Her knees were already burning from crouching behind the dumpster so long. Now, a delightful tingle swept through her body. She opened her eyes when he pulled back. She lowered her eyes to the ring and touched it. It felt right having it back on her finger. "And you'll always be mine," she whispered. "So, what's the plan?"


	10. Chapter 10

Mal clutched the remote tightly. Ben had left it with her to close the barrier behind him and to be able to open it for herself. He had made it back to Auradon already, and now she sat in the shadows near the entrance to the broken bridge to wait.

The plan was simple, but not entirely to Mal's liking. Ben had left first to get everything set up for Mal to talk to Maleficent. He would then flash the lights in his room once he was safely in the castle and ready to be struck by the curse again. No, Mal really didn't like that she was putting him in danger again for what she knew would be a fruitless errand. But she had to try. She had agreed to only an hour outside of the barrier, which included travel time to and from the Isle. This would give her very little time to actually talk to her mother, so she had to both run and talk fast. If she couldn't get the answer out of her mother, then someone would escort her back to the Isle to wait for the others in Auradon to find a cure so that she could return.

It was nearly midnight when the lights in one of the upper rooms of Beast's castle began to flicker. Mal pulled herself up, feeling stiff from sitting between two trash cans for the past few hours. She glanced around her, making sure she hadn't missed hearing someone approach her. Giving her the remote had been a dangerous move. If someone had attacked her and taken it, all of the villains would have been allowed to escape. But Ben had argued that it wouldn't be for long. It would be fine.

Mal approached the edge of the bridge and pressed the only button on the remote. Golden light swirled in front of her, opening a perfectly circular hole in the barrier. She stepped forward, one foot hanging out over open air for a moment before the golden road appeared. Stepping out onto the magic road, she pressed the button again, and the barrier closed behind her.

Mal took off running, the road appearing a few feet more in front of her each second. The thought of Ben collapsing and writhing in his bed made her run faster. She had to get to the other side and see her mother. She had to get the cure.

A pair of lights flickered directly in front of her as she neared the end of the gold road. Headlights. The limo waited for her, the engine already running. She dove into the front passenger seat beside the driver. "Go!"

The limo sped down the street toward the museum Mal and her friends had tried to rob. That was where her mother was being held; that much Mal knew.

"I have a radio on," the driver told her as he turned a corner. He tapped the bud in his ear. "Fairy Godmother said Ben collapsed the instant you left the Isle. By the time you got into the car, he'd already lost his eyesight and hearing."

"What?" Mal's mouth was suddenly dry. "Already?" It had taken hours to get to that point before. Now, the curse must have picked up where it left off instead of restarting.

The driver nodded. The car came to a screeching halt in front of the museum. They both jumped out of the vehicle. "You'll only have a little more than thirty minutes with your mother," he said as they took the stairs to the museum two at a time. He led Mal in through the front doors, along a side passageway, and down a flight of stairs to the basement. He stopped in front of a door. "I'll come in to get you when we need to leave."

Mal nodded and entered the room, closing the door behind her.

The room was divided in half. A barrier of bright blue power ran through the center, blocking Mal from the other end. This also kept the occupant of the other side from reaching the door where Mal stood.

"Mal! I see you've come to your senses," Maleficent said, grinning. "Now, spring me from this prison, and I'll forget all about your little scene the other day."

Mal stepped closer to the bars of the barrier. "That's not what I came for, Mother."

Maleficent puckered her lips as if sucking on a lemon as she studied Mal. "I guessed as much. What do you want then?" she asked, her voice instantly cold and stiff.

"I came to ask you about the curse you put on me when I was a baby," Mal said. "And...every year after."

Maleficent raised an eyebrow. Then she grinned again. "Did it work?" She clapped her hands together. "I was worried, given your tantrum at the coronation, that it hadn't worked. Isn't it wonderful?"

"No, it is not wonderful, Mother," Mal snapped. "Ben is dying."

"As he deserves."

"And I'm..."

"Yes?"

Mal huffed and looked away, putting her hands on her hips. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you're killing Ben."

"Oh, sweet pea, I'm not killing anyone. You are. And you know it. Don't you love it? Don't you love seeing someone writhe about in pain, knowing it's your doing and that you have all the power to control it?"

Mal scowled at her. This had been a mistake. A huge one. "Yeah, I can control it by leaving. By going back to the Isle. But I don't belong there, Mom. You know I don't. I never did. Please, tell me how to stop this."

Maleficent paced to the other end of her cell and back to Mal. "You think I'm going to undo years of work by telling you how to help that boy?" She cocked her head. "What's with the hat anyway?"

Mal huffed and tugged the hat off her head, revealing the horns. Her mother clapped her hands together in glee. "Yeah, I'm turning into you, alright? Happy?"

"Oh, it worked even more splendidly than I could have hoped," Maleficent said, her eyes glinting bright green.

Mal tugged the hat back on. "Please, Mom, if you care for me at all, even a little...please, tell me how to help him."

Maleficent drew close enough to the barrier that the blue glow reflected on her face. She almost looked bored with her. "Help him yourself."

"I can't!"

"If you're dumb enough to turn good, you're dumb enough to know how to save him. You are, after all," Maleficent rolled her eyes, "my daughter."

Mal closed her mouth, letting the reply she had had ready die on her lips. Was her mother saying it was that obvious? Could they have really overlooked an answer that simple? She stepped closed to the barrier. "You're saying...I can heal him?"

Maleficent studied her nails for a moment, appearing as if talking to Mal was causing her physical pain now. "Only a spell's caster can undo the spell. You said so yourself that you're becoming me. You have enough of my blood in your veins and even enough of my name. Fix him yourself."

Mal narrowed her eyes, knowing that any information her mother gave wasn't ever entirely free. "And what will it cost me?" She didn't even know why she was asking that when the clear alternative was losing Ben. "If I take your name for myself..."

"You'll also have to tap into your power you have from me."

"Will it kill me?" Mal asked quietly.

The corners of Maleficent's mouth turned up into a dark grin. "Oh, it's much worse than that. You can't handle my power, darling. It will consume you. You won't be able to help it. But, if you really want to help this boy, you will have to accept your birthright as my daughter."

"And, of course, you're going to tell me that I can't save myself."

Maleficent shrugged. "If you could resist the pull of the power afterwards, sure. I suppose this boy getting to live is but a small price to pay for you being the daughter I always really wanted."

The door behind Mal opened, and she turned to see the driver. She glanced back at her mother.

Maleficent gave her a finger wave. "I'll see you when you come back to free me, after the power has consumed you. We will rule together!"

Mal marched out of the room, and the driver shut it. She turned to him. "Perfect timing, I suppose. I know how to save Ben."

The driver wouldn't meet her eye for a moment, his gaze trained on the ground. Then he looked up at her, and a spike of fear shot through her heart even before he opened his mouth to say something. "Fairy Godmother just radioed me. It's too late. Ben's dead."


	11. Chapter 11

"Is she alright?" Fairy Godmother asked, her heels clicking against the floor of the corridor outside the library.

"Depends what you define as alright," Jay said, moving aside so the headmistress could look into the library through the windows in the door. Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Doug were standing in the hall just outside the library, afraid to even try to enter.

"Oh my," Fairy Godmother said, withdrawing from the window. "She's been in there all this time?"

"Yeah, for a few hours. What are you doing here anyway?" Jay asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "We thought you'd be with Ben."

Fairy Godmother frowned. "I've left his parents alone to grieve. I thought it best to check on Mal. I was sorry to have to tell her that she couldn't see him until Beast and Belle say it's alright, but she has to understand...they're his parents."

"I think she gets that," Evie said. "But she's blaming herself. All we could get out of her after the driver dropped her off here was that she had found the cure but it was too late. Then she shut herself in the library. She's been in there ever since."

"It's already dawn," Fairy Godmother said and looked back in through the window. "She's going to lose control. Why haven't you stopped her?" She pushed on the doors, but they remained firmly closed. They didn't even budge.

"She's locked us out. The force of the wind is keeping the doors shut," Jay explained. "There's nothing we can do until she decides to come out."

Fairy Godmother nodded before jumping back from the door. "Was that a Minotaur?"

Jay nodded. "Another reason we're not exactly keen to try the doors."

* * *

Mal knelt in the middle of the library, a green vortex of power swirling around her. It was calm in the eye of the twister where she sat, her feet tucked under her as she leaned over her knees, sobbing. The outer arms of the vortex had already swept most of the books off the shelves. Some of the books had even come to life, fairy tale horrors jumping from their pages. A Minotaur, a hydra, and some banshees were just a few of the creatures prowling around. They were relatively harmless as they were formed entirely of the paper from which they originated. Their forms constantly shifted as the pages that constructed them were blasted apart from getting too close to the vortex. They would reassemble several feet away, glowing green with power.

Luckily, as they thrived on the power of the vortex, they could not leave the library. This successfully left Mal's friends alone, while sealing her in her own personal nightmare of demons.

She could barely recall the memory of her breaking down on the steps to the museum's basement. She had sat there and cried outside her mother's cell door until the driver had forced her to her feet and taken her to the limo. It was a big blur after that in which she was dropped off at the curb of Auradon Prep and her friends had seemed to materialize out of thin air. They had said things she couldn't remember and given her hugs she hadn't felt. Their sad faces didn't help. She couldn't breathe. So, she had sprinted to the library and forced them to stay out. So she could grieve. So she could think.

She saw now that it had been foolish to come back to Auradon. Yes, she had convinced her mother to give her enough information. But it didn't matter now. And the last sliver of hope she had had in her heart had died with Ben. He had been wrong. They couldn't save everything. Every fairy tale did not have a happy ending. And it was all her fault.

In her despair, she was drawing on the last part of her that felt alive. Magic. She knew it was wrong to tap into the power she had inherited from her mother when she wasn't using it for anything productive. She knew it would consume her. But, at that moment, she wasn't sure she cared if it did. If Ben wasn't there to save, was there a point to being good anymore? He had been the only one who believed in her from the beginning and convinced her that she could be good. But now she wasn't sure of any of that. She wasn't sure of anything.

The power was exploding out of her, isolating her as whispers formed in her mind. She could bring all the books to life. She could make the creatures real and solid. She could command them. It would be the end of all things good, and it would probably be the end of her. The horns had grown another inch in the last few hours, and her eyes were burning with raw electric green power. It hurt to blink. It hurt to try to stop it.

A sphinx crept closer to the vortex, its woman face determined and its lion haunches taut as if ready to spring. It launched itself at her, hit the vortex, and disintegrated. It reformed near the library windows, which Mal had blown out with the first gust of wind. The creatures were closing in now as if sensing her fear and lack of control. They sensed her doubt of her mother's power.

In her mind, another voice overpowered the others for just long enough that Mal could concentrate. "I can look into your eyes, and I can tell you're not evil."

Not evil. Not evil.

Mal latched onto the words Ben had told her by the lake, and forcefully closed her eyes. When she opened them, the paper creatures were nothing but piles of printed pages from their books. The vortex was gone, and the pain in her eyes had diminished.

The library door opened, and Mal shot to her feet. Before she could even register anything past Jay calling her name, she had climbed out one of the broken windows and dropped to the ground outside.

Mal went to the first place she could think of to be alone. A sprint, one bus ride, and a walk through the woods later, she stood in the center of the temple ruins on the Enchanted Lake where she and Ben had had their picnic. It was just as beautiful as she remembered. The surface of the lake gleamed, with just a few wisps of fog hanging over the surface in the early morning light. But under that, it was crystal clear and peaceful. Mal just wished that the storm inside her might calm enough to see that.

She leaned against one of the pillars, staying still as she focused on the memory of her date with Ben. Tears streamed down her face, and she leaned her head against the pillar as she sobbed.

She remembered her trouble with the jelly doughnut and her discovery of strawberries. She remembered him touching her, helping her when she struggled with multiple things that day. She remembered the fear that she had lost him, even then. She remembered him saving her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Mal cried, the words bursting from her. Heaving throaty gasps left her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ben."

Then she remembered something else from that day, and the smallest throb of hope lit in her mind. Ben had shown her a wishing stone that day. She recalled mentioning it to Doug and him saying that spells as bad as her mother's couldn't just be wished away. But what if it could do something else?

She pushed off from the pillar and peered over the side. The light of dawn was reflecting off something in the distance, just a few glimmers. But she remembered throwing it in right by the base of the temple ruins. Had it floated down that far?

She left the ruins and wound her way up the hill through the trees. From there, she could see the entirety of the lake stretched out beneath her. It was gorgeous, and yes, she could see a light shining in the water.

It was risky. She couldn't swim, and if she couldn't grab the stone on the first jump, she would likely drown. But, at the same time, she felt confident. A warmth spread through her as if she could feel Ben's presence standing next to her. Yet, she knew she was completely alone. Standing there on the ledge, there was nothing left to lose. Ben was gone, and she could feel her mother's power stirring in her again from where she had pushed it to the back of her mind in the library. Without Ben, she wasn't sure she could hold onto her sanity. If the stone didn't work, perhaps Auradon was better off without a soon-to-be villain brewing among them.

She jumped. The air tore at her, and her stomach lifted into her throat. The water rose to meet her far too quickly. She barely had a moment to think that it had been a mistake when she hit the water. It was cold, a startling shock to her chest.

She floundered helplessly in the water, not sure which direction was up. But then she saw the stone. She had to see Ben one more time. So, she reached, her fingers grabbing in the water as air left her lungs. Water quickly took its place, and she struggled. With her fingers still inches from the stone, the world grew dark and her vision was snuffed out.

* * *

"Mal? Mal, wake up."

Mal's throat felt raw, as if she had recently vomited but couldn't remember doing so. She slowly opened her eyes, sunlight blinding her for a moment before her vision cleared. She saw a dazzling smile above her.

"Ben?"

She didn't understand what was happening. She hadn't even touched the stone to make a wish. But there he was kneeling beside her on the temple ruins. He was beautiful.

"Ben, I-"

"Mal, I don't have much time with you. You need to listen." He helped her sit up, and it was then that she realized she wasn't in someplace entirely familiar or entirely foreign. Yes, they were still at the lake, but something was wrong with the image before her. Everything seemed too bright, like someone had saturated her vision and made everything ten times brighter. She shielded her eyes and looked back at Ben.

But she saw something over his shoulder. A body made of dense smoke. Her body.

"Ben...am I dead?" she asked.

"No," he said. "You almost were, but I saved you in time. You're in the spirit world. I haven't crossed yet. We still have time, but you need to pay attention." He shook her arm when her gaze slid back to her lifeless body behind him. "Tell Fairy Godmother my soul's hold on my body hasn't broken yet. Tell her there's still time but that you have to be the one to bring me back. You're the only one who can."

His form started to flicker.

"Ben!" But then she realized it must have been her returning to the normal world, not the other way around.

He smiled sadly. "Come find me. I'll be waiting." He leaned forward and kissed her. Then he vanished, leaving nothing but the ghost of his lips on hers.


	12. Chapter 12

"And Ben told you this himself?" Fairy Godmother asked. She sat behind her desk, her hands folded on top of the wood surface as she examined Mal across from her. Mal had come back from the lake and gone straight to the headmistress's office where Doug had said she was catching up on paperwork.

Mal nodded. "He said that he would be waiting. He acted like you would know what he meant by saying there was still time to bring him back."

Fairy Godmother pressed her lips together in a thin line. "I'm only making sure, Mal. Beast and Belle are deciding how they plan to release the news of his death to the public. They're arranging the funeral as well. I have to make sure of this before I disturb them. This would, for obvious reason, delay them."

"Wouldn't they be glad of that though?" Mal frowned.

"Of course. I just..." Fairy Godmother splayed her fingers on the desk. "I don't want to give them hope if there is none. Now, you're absolutely sure you saw him?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I can't swim. No one else was there to pull me out of the lake," Mal said. She had already told her about all of the events at the lake just an hour previous. "You do know what he meant by the spirit world, right?"

Fairy Godmother nodded and stood. She turned to scan the titles of the books on the walls behind her. The office looked like a miniature library with bookcases set into the walls. After several minutes, she pulled out a black and gray tome and sat back in her chair. She started flicking through the pages.

"Since I don't do any magic involving death or spirits, I know very little about the spirit world past the tale of Hercules. I did study it at one point very early in my career, but really, your Dr. Facilier would know more about it. But he specializes in Black Magic, doesn't he?" She glanced up at Mal, and Mal nodded.

"Anyway," the woman continued as she frowned at a page of scientific formulas, "the basics may be all you need, which I luckily can tell you." She looked up at Mal. "When a person dies, their soul relinquishes its hold on the body, allowing the body to decompose. However, there have been cases where the person's soul and will to live is much stronger than others, and their soul becomes fractured. This means, let's say for example, nine-tenths of the soul has moved on, but one-tenth still resides in the body. The person is not alive to the naked eye due to only a little of the soul hanging onto its physical form. That much of the soul cannot allow the body to continue to function on its own, but the body will also not start to decompose until the entire soul is gone. It is stuck, if you will, as if like a statue, until the last of the soul retires."

"So...are you telling me what Ben meant was that as long as a portion of his soul is still attached to his body, the rest of his soul could be rejoined with it?" Mal asked, trying to put the pieces together.

Fairy Godmother nodded. "If the rest of his soul is retrieved from the spirit world and brought back-"

"Why can't he just come back? I mean, where is he right now? Where is he going to be waiting for me?"

"A soul can't stay near their body long. They continually wander farther and farther away until they reach Skull Island."

Mal frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Skull Island is where he'll likely be waiting. It's off the northeastern coast of Auradon. It's also where Peter Pan and Captain Hook sometimes faced off in the past. You have heard of Peter Pan, right?" Fairy Godmother asked.

Mal nodded. "Mainly Hook, but that's because he lives on the Isle of the Lost." She sat forward a bit. "Why is that where Ben will be?"

"Because that's where all souls go when they need to pass on. There, a ferryman loads souls onto his boat as passengers into the next life. They ride out into the horizon, where they pass on. A soul can only stay in our world so long until they begin to fade. Without a body to live in, they have nothing to tether them to our world. And if they don't pass on in a reasonable amount of time, they will also fade. Souls can stick around only so long until they find themselves drawn to Skull Island, where they wait in the cave for the ferry." Fairy Godmother closed the book and stood to replace it on the shelf.

Mal swallowed and asked, "So, how long until he gets on the ferry?"

"It's hard to say. Souls can jump great distances at a time, very much like teleportation. Ben could have jumped straight to Skull Island after he saved you at the lake. All he would have had to do was imagine himself where he wanted to be." The headmistress sat back down. "But, time also moves differently for spirits. What feels like five minutes to a spirit can really be five hours to us."

"So...when Ben said he didn't have much time..." Mal scanned the woman's face. "How long did he really mean?"

"Probably just a few hours for us."

Mal shot up out of her seat. "Then why are we sitting here? We need to get to Skull Island."

Fairy Godmother remained seated. "Because you need to have all this information going in, and you can't enter the spirit world like that."

"Like what?" Mal slowly moved to sit back down.

"You'll have to go to sleep and focus very hard on projecting your soul outside of your body. Like Ben, a portion of your soul will remain behind so that you can return. But, you have to understand, Mal, you'll be pushing yourself to the brink of death. You'll feel the pull from the ferry at Skull Island, but focus on Ben and you should find him at the island easily. There is no need to physically go there. The physical Skull Island will be quite empty right now if you were to go there."

"So...just imagine it, and it will happen? I'll see Ben?" Mal asked softly.

Fairy Godmother nodded. "But, like I said, you yourself will feel a pull toward the ferry. Ben's own desire to get on the boat will be worse. Do not let him get on that boat. And do not step on it yourself. You'll never return if you do."

"So, how will we return to our bodies? Just picture it?" Mal asked.

"Essentially, yes." Fairy Godmother opened one of the drawers in her desk and pulled out a small vial. "This is one of the only potions I still use. I have insomnia." She handed it over to Mal. "You'll fall asleep almost instantly. I suggest you take it now so that you can go ahead and find Ben while I inform his parents of the situation. I will have your body moved to Ben's room so that your bodies will be in the same place for you to return to."

Mal didn't uncork the vial. Instead, she looked up at Fairy Godmother, worried. "Will this break Ben's curse? Or will it start all over?"

"I believe you told the driver that you had obtained the cure from your mother. Is that not right?"

"No, I did, but..." She swallowed. "So, I'll have to cure him as soon as we return?"

Fairy Godmother nodded. "And quickly. Neither of you would survive a second trip to the spirit world, even if you return from the first."

* * *

Mal barely remembered taking the sleep potion. Instantly, she found herself in a dreamless sleep. But, she could vaguely remember one thought that was slipping farther and farther away. Find Ben. Find Ben.

Latching onto that single thought, she focused on doing as Fairy Godmother had said - projecting her soul. She could feel the fingers of sleep attempting to tug her down into sweet nothingness. But she had to find Ben. Find Ben.

She was suddenly standing outside Auradon Prep, its campus empty. Vivid colors assaulted her vision, and she had to shield her eyes with one hand as they adjusted. It was then that she realized she was wearing her same clothes from that day, and Ben's ring was still on her finger. She lowered her hand to look at the sky, fascination mounting in her mind. The clouds were moving across the sky as if on fast forward.

Find Ben fast. She felt disoriented as she looked away from the sky too quickly. The world tilted, and she had to lean against the outer brick wall of the school to keep her balance. It felt as if she pressed too hard against it, she might fall straight through it into the room beyond. She straightened up, closed her eyes, and concentrated on Ben.

She opened her eyes when she heard water. It lapped against the rocks at her feet, sloshing gently. Looking around, she saw she was standing inside a massive cave with rock ledges scattered around the edges. People sat everywhere, some huddled together and others refusing to speak to anyone. Water filled the basin of the cave by means of a large opening to her left. Two smaller openings rested several feet above the first. It really did look like a skull, she thought, even from the inside.

Sitting in the water in the center of the cave was a large boat with no sails. A man stood beside it, a ramp leading up to the deck. Several of the souls had formed a line to the ferry where they waited for the man to find their names on a piece of parchment in his hand.

Then Mal saw Ben, and she felt her stomach leap into her throat as she ran forward. He was next in line. "Ben!" she said, grabbing his arm.

Ben turned to look at her, and she nearly released him in fright. His eyes were blank and staring. He wore a frown, and his cheeks were sunken. "Mal," he said softly. He tried to smile, but it looked as though it pained him. "I probably look terrible. I was starting to fade. I didn't have a choice but to go."

Mal shook her head. "No, you do have a choice. You told me to come get you. Come back with me!"

"And who are you?" the ferryman asked, startling Mal.

Mal opened her mouth to say something, but Ben gripped her hand. "Don't," he warned. "If your name isn't in this round of names, you still have time."

"You still have time too, Ben! Please!" Mal said. She glanced to the ferry and frowned. But then, the more she stared at it, the more she felt its appeal. They could escape together. They could lively happily together in another world where no tyrannical mothers existed.

The ferryman cleared his throat, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You're holding up the line," he growled.

Mal shook her head, remembering why she was there. "Please, you can't take him. You can't."

"I don't take," the man said. "I deliver. Now, either get on board or step away from my cargo."

Mal only gripped Ben's arm tighter and stared into the man's eyes. It sent a chill down her spine as if drinking ice cold water until her head hurt. "Please."

The ferryman sighed and lowered his parchment. "Cursed?" he asked.

"What? I-yeah, we are. We were cursed by my mother."

"You know, I really don't have time for tragic love stories today, so..." The man shoved her backward, his hand feeling like ice to her chest. She stumbled and instantly found herself falling backward and pulling Ben with her. They both fell, time seeming to lengthen as they did. Mal felt paralyzed. She couldn't throw out an arm to brace for the impact against the rocks. She was going to hit her head. All she could think of was that she had to do something. Think. The image of Ben's room materialized in her mind, and she focused on their bodies and Ben's room. When her head came into contact with something solid, it was with one of the pillows on Ben's bed.

* * *

Mal's eyes flew open, and she sat up, panting as if she had just finished a race. She was sitting on Ben's bed. Outside, the sun had already set even though she felt she had only been gone for five minutes.

"Ben!" Belle cried.

Both Beast and Belle were in the room too, and it was then that Mal realized she was sitting next to Ben. He was awake and breathing. Her hand was still clutching his wrist like she had been inside the cave at Skull Island. Had the ferryman simply shoved them back into their bodies? Had he actually done them a favor by giving them more time together? After all, they were still cursed. But she was going to change that. At least for Ben.


	13. Chapter 13

Belle, sitting in a chair beside the bed, leaned toward Ben. "Ben, sweetheart, are you alright?" Beast stood directly behind her, an expression of deep concern on his face.

Ben didn't answer. Only his eyes moved. Mal gripped his wrist tighter. "Ben. Ben, answer us," she pleaded. His eyes glowed bright green, confirming her fears. She shifted to her knees and leaned over him. "Ben, focus. Focus on me. We're going to break this," she told him. She had to keep him calm, and that meant staying calm herself. She had to believe everything would be alright in the end.

She gripped his upper arms and focused her eyes on his. The same green reflected in both of their gazes. She knew what she had to do, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she had been preparing for it ever since she had learned the cure from her mother. Now, she desperately sought out the part of her soul which housed the powers inherited from her mother. It felt like a beast chained in a closet. She had given it a short leash on which to roam when she had released the paper creatures in the library. But now, it writhed and clawed at her sanity for freedom. And she knew she had to release those powers in order to break Ben's part of the curse.

"Listen to me," Mal said, staring into Ben's eyes. Her voice took on a deeper, more purposed tone. "I am Mal, daughter of Maleficent. It is now that I take on my responsibility and birthright as the new Maleficent. I accept my full name and powers. I release you from this spell, which I take now responsibility for having cast and for taking away. You will be free now."

The green light left Ben's eyes, allowing them to return to their normal color. Green smoke issued from his mouth as he exhaled. It drifted up toward Mal's face and disappeared.

Mal released her hold on Ben and slid off the bed. She ran to the door, thoughts of greed and power already flooding her mind. The horns were growing more now, sprouting up through Jay's beanie and splitting the fabric. Green fire glowed around her hands, and she closed them into fists to attempt to smother the flames. She had broken Ben's curse, yes. But she had only unleashed the full fury of her own. She had to put space between her and Auradon Prep before she could do any real harm.

She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at Beast and Belle, both of whom seemed confused by her actions. "Tell him I'm sorry," she said and fled the room. She had no choice but to try to escape to somewhere isolated. She needed to be alone so she wasn't a threat to anybody. If her mother's power consumed her, there was no telling how much havoc would ensue. But if she could get away and focus all of her energy on keeping the power and greed from taking her mind...well, it was her only chance.

But the power was crashing in upon her like ocean waves. It smashed and battered her, confusing and scattering her thoughts. She couldn't concentrate on anything. The only things that obeyed her were her feet, which carried her out of the castle and toward the school.

Fear filled her. If the power completely consumed her before she got far enough away, would it make her release her mother? Would she turn on her friends? Would she turn back around and go torture Ben? She couldn't stand the thought of any of those conclusions. But the power was growing ever stronger, flooding her veins and seizing control. She felt as if her sanity was dwindling to nothing.

* * *

Ben stirred slowly, feeling as if he had been drugged. "Ugh, what happened?" he asked, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"Mal saved you," Belle said. She was holding his hand and beaming. "You're safe now, darling. You can rest."

"Safe?" Beast scoffed. "He's alive, but I don't know about safe. You heard her. You saw what happened."

Ben's eyes swept over both of his parents' faces. "What? What happened? Where's Mal?"

"She's gone," Beast said. "She had to accept her full powers and title as Maleficent's daughter in order to break the curse. At least, that's what it sounded like."

"She did what?!" Ben sat up, but instantly found himself being shoved back down against his pillows by his mother.

"You're going to rest," she said firmly. "I'm sure her friends will talk some sense into her."

Ben stared from her to his father in disbelief. "So, I'm supposed to sit here and do nothing while Mal's torturing herself?"

"You're supposed to stay here and rest. You can't do anything for her right now."

* * *

Mal only stopped running once she was deep into the forest behind the tourney field. A stitch stabbed in her side, and she struggled to catch her breath. A thousand different voices echoed in her mind. She could be evil. She could be the greatest villain in history. She could control her fate along with the fates of others.

And she wanted it. She wanted the power so badly. It was ripping into her. Really, what were the benefits of being good all the rest of her life? All she would get was a normal, dull life. There was no excitement in being normal. She wanted to feel adrenaline. She wanted the thrill of power.

Her mother's scepter and spell book materialized in her hands. She screamed and dropped them both on the forest path, unsure if she had summoned them or not. Had her power acted of its own accord and summoned them? It felt alive, like another breathing being inside of her.

She wavered for a moment, unsure of who was in control. But as she stepped forward warily and bent to run her fingers over the scepter, she felt a greed within her grow. She wanted the power.

She felt her eyes burn and knew they were lighting up green. As she simply touched the top of the Dragon's Eye Scepter, she felt herself tumble over the edge into darkness. It consumed her. The voices in her head then spoke as one, no longer an incomprehensible mess, to give her clear instructions.

She picked up the scepter and spell book. Her pulse pounded with fury and power, wanting everything she had been deprived of by being locked away on the Isle. She wanted to be bad. And right then, she could feel it. She was evil.


	14. Chapter 14

Green smoke pushed in under the museum door. It traveled the familiar hallways, unnoticed by the guards as it wound itself down to the basement. Seeping in under and around that door as well, Mal materialized in the room. She wore her same clothes, including the beanie and Ben's ring, except that she carried the Dragon's Eye Scepter in her right hand. She carried herself in a manner that was wildly confident, her eyes blazing with power.

She stood in the same room in which she had last talked to her mother. Now, instead of the room being divided in half by magic, it appeared mostly empty. That was, except for a pedestal on which a small metal cage sat. A spotlight of blue repelling magic shone down on it - a force field. In addition, a small blue lock kept the cage closed.

Mal stepped closer to the cage and peered down into it. A small black lizard looked up at her and cocked its head. Then it trilled excitedly and ran around the cage. It clawed at the lock, but its claws began smoking from the contact with the magic. Mal straightened back up, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burnt lizard, even if it was only the claws.

"Hello, Mother," Mal said. She looked up at the spotlight that was projecting the force field around Maleficent's cage, considering it. "Don't make any mistake. I'm not here to free you."

The lizard stopped scurrying around the cage and instead sat to watch her, its bold green eyes fixed onto her.

"You see, Mother, I came to tell you something," Mal said. "I've taken your name. My rightful name. You are no longer entitled to it." She lifted the scepter and pointed the green orb that topped it at the spotlight. The spotlight shattered, and the force field flickered once before disappearing.

Immediately, sirens blared. Mal frowned and rolled her eyes. She pointed the scepter at the lock of the cage, and it dissolved into green smoke. The lizard ran around the interior of the cage, trying to escape Mal's hand as she reached for the reptile. Her hands closed around it and pulled it out. Holding it up to her face so that she was eye-to-eye with the lizard, Mal grinned darkly. "There can only be one Maleficent. You want to see truly evil?" Mal tapped the head of the scepter to the lizard, and the reptile vanished with a 'pop!' "Enjoy your life, Mother."

Her mother didn't deserve to be guarded and fed everyday for the rest of her life. No, that would be still considering her a threat. That would be thinking of her highly and fearing her. That's what the people of Auradon were doing. By keeping her caged up, they were telling her she was still dangerous and to be feared. They were telling her she was still powerful even on some small level. So, Mal had set her free to live out the rest of her life as a common lizard in the mountains. There, she would not be a threat. She would also not be feared. In reality, she would be what she feared most of all. She would be insignificant.

"Hey, who's there! We've got you surrounded!" someone called from outside the door.

Mal just huffed impatiently. Dissolving into smoke, she slunk back out the way she had come. The smoke curled around the guard's feet where he stood outside the door, fumbling with his keys. Then the smoke traveled up the stairs, out the front door, and was gone.

* * *

Ben was comfortable in his bed when raised voices from the next room woke him up.

"This is already getting out of hand!" he heard his father say. "She's broken into the museum. Maleficent's gone. Now, you're telling me you don't know where she is? I knew that girl was trouble."

"Honey, calm down. You'll wake Ben," Belle said urgently.

Someone sighed. "I didn't say I don't know where she is." Ben instantly recognized the voice as Fairy Godmother. "I said I'm working on tracing her magic. I wasn't completely irresponsible when I retired my magic. I did set up precautions so we could know about and keep tabs on magic users should they get out of hand. The magic receptors all over the kingdom are trying to pick up on the trail Mal's magic left behind."

"And you have no idea where it's headed?" Beast asked.

"At the moment, no. But, with all due respect, if you want answers, then stop pulling me away from my job just to throw a fit at me."

"You both need to be quiet," Belle said. "I want Ben to rest. He shouldn't be bombarded with news about Mal. He'll go running off again. Please, discuss this somewhere else."

Beast grumbled. "I want that girl detained. And possibly deported back to the Isle."

"You can't do that. You aren't king anymore," Belle reminded him. "That's Ben's call."

"No, it will be the decision of the citizens if they get wind of this. We'll have an uprising. A villain living among us again? Ha, it'll be the end."

"It will sort itself out. But you need to calm down. He loves her, and you and I both know love can change people." The door to Ben's room opened, and Ben shut his eyes quickly. A moment later, his bed dipped a little, and he guessed it was his mother. She rubbed his arm lightly as he pretended he hadn't heard anything.

* * *

It was hours later, after night had fallen, that Mal stood alone in Sherwood Forest. It was located in the west of Auradon, away from Beast's castle and Auradon Prep. Black torches with green flames surrounded her. She had chosen a clearing in which to build her castle, her own fortress.

This structure stood before her. It was the product of her magic and imagination. The castle gleamed as if made of black glass. Its towers were topped with green flames. She was putting the finishing touches on it, making it perfect, when something moved in the forest to her right.

"Who's there?" she called. She knew she had heard a distinct crunching sound, as if someone had stepped in some of the brush nearby. "Show yourself!" she commanded. Whoever it was had to be standing just out of the circle of light her torches made around her.

"Mal," said a steady, deep voice. "Mal, I just want to talk."

Mal narrowed her eyes, her grip on the scepter tightening as Beast stepped into the torchlight.


	15. Chapter 15

"It's Maleficent, actually," Mal corrected Beast, her eyes never leaving his face as he stepped into the circle of torches.

"No, it's not. It's Mal. You go by Mal," Beast said. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. "And, actually, where is your mother?"

"She's living out a meaningless existence with common lizards somewhere in the mountains. I'm the only Maleficent now."

"If you say so, Mal."

Mal stabbed the scepter against the ground in frustration. "It's Maleficent."

"No one in Auradon seems to believe that. They all think the best of you." His eyes never wavered from her. They kept eye contact, each like an animal hunting the other.

"But you disagree," Mal guessed. "You think it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Beast shrugged a shoulder. Then he frowned at her and withdrew his hands from his pockets. He crossed his arms over his chest instead. "Yes, I thought it was just a matter of time. Your speech at the coronation was very moving, I'll admit, but I found it hard to believe that you could just quit being evil. Becoming good takes time. A lot of time, and a lot of practice."

Mal narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, ok, meaning what?"

"Meaning," Beast said, his expression solemn, "you're bound to relapse at least once, maybe several times, before you get to where you want to be. When something is a way of life, a habit, for so long, it is hard to break. That is why I was wary of you. You changed too quickly. And while I believe Ben was correct in saying you are not evil, I could not let him be blinded. He leads with his heart, but a king must lead with his mind just as much. What he hasn't realized is that the struggle between good and evil is much more difficult for you and your friends than the rest of us here in Auradon. It's more complicated; it's more...loaded. You have choices every day that twist your path in one direction or the other, always wavering between good and evil. And you think it is something you can fix overnight. You think it's something you can just overcome with a snap of your fingers."

Mal shook her head. "You're wrong. I'm not still choosing between good and evil! I've chosen my path! I want to be evil."

Beast clenched his jaw, appearing as if he was restraining himself from charging forward and shaking her by her shoulders. "No. Mal, you're not listening." He shook his head. "You will have to choose every day for the rest of your life. Every choice you make is a chance at either redemption or destruction. And slipping once or twice doesn't automatically make you one or the other. I learned the hard way. I was selfish. Belle put up with things and situations I put her in that most women wouldn't have. But that is her own choice of good - forgiveness. And if you're afraid to even consider choosing good again because you're afraid of what Ben will say, you should remember that forgiveness is his goodness too."

The voices in Mal's head were disagreeing with each other. Instead of speaking as one now, they fought each other, confusing her. She shook her head, closing her eyes as the spark of a headache prickled behind her eyes. "Stop, stop! You're wrong. And my name is Maleficent."

Beast took a step forward, reaching for her. She released the scepter, and it hit the ground. A shower of sparks shot out of the green orb on top but did nothing. She stepped back between two torches, her hands going to her head as the voices grew louder.

"Please, Mal. Ben loves you, and I know you love him. If you didn't, that curse wouldn't have taken effect. If you didn't, you wouldn't have risked so much to save him. Fairy Godmother told me what all you did for him. I believe Ben. And even if he is wrong and there is evil in you, I do believe that there is more good than bad. Don't throw it away now."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Mal yelled at him, tears sliding from her eyes that were shut tight. Her head felt as if it would split in two. "I can't stop this!"

"I know what it's like to be cursed. I know what it's like to become the very monster you fear you are. Don't give it more power, Mal!"

Mal ripped off the beanie and tossed it aside, her horns glowing and aching. She screamed, "I TOLD YOU MY NAME IS MALEFICENT!"

The heads of the torches exploded, raining cinders and shards of wood down on both of them. The flames surged toward Beast, twisting around him. He writhed, trying to bat back the flames that consumed him. There was a burst of green light, and Mal had to shield her eyes as it blinded her. When she looked back, Beast was gone. In his place sat a plump jet black bear cub.

The cub looked around as if confused. Then it examined its paws before looking up at Mal and grunting pitifully. It was almost a whine.

Mal, the voices in her mind having solidified into one message again, glared at him mercilessly. "Maybe next time, you'll stay home and keep your mouth shut." She plucked Ben's ring from her index finger and showed it to the cub. "I don't care what you say about Ben. I'm not going back, and I'm not asking for his forgiveness. Watch." She straightened up and turned her back to her castle. With a quick movement of her arm, she chucked the ring out into the darkness of the forest.

She turned back to the cub. It looked horrified, its eyes wide. She swept past it, walking up the steps to her castle. When she looked back, the cub was gone, swallowed by the darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

"Do you think something happened to him?"

Again, it was voices from the next room that woke Ben up. The sun was setting outside his window, and he had to pause to decide how much time had passed. Had he really slept an entire day?

"I just know something awful has happened," Belle continued.

"Now, I don't think it wise to go jumping to conclusions, but given the circumstances..." It was Fairy Godmother. "Beast has been gone a long time."

Ben sat up instantly, feeling as if the puzzle had just fit itself together in his mind. They were talking about his father being missing. But why?

"I thought he was going to talk some sense into her. It's been a day. Do you really think she's that powerful already?" Belle asked.

"Yes," Fairy Godmother said. "And I think it's wise to regard her as powerful as her mother. She likely has that amount of power. But, if she's not completely overcome by the power, she may be restraining it yet."

"Then why hasn't he returned? She wouldn't hurt him if she was in her right mind, would she?"

Ben pushed back the covers of his bed and moved to stand. Moving quietly about his room, he got dressed as he listened.

"I just think something's happened," Belle said and sighed.

"You may be right, dear. I'm sorry to say it, but Mal's mind may be gone. She's already hidden herself away in a forest. In a castle like her mother's too."

Ben frowned as he listened. How did they know that? Could they see the castle from there? He walked to his window as he pulled on his jacket. He could see the Enchanted Forest from his window, but there were no visible castle spires or anything. Maybe they had meant Sherwood Forest to the west. It was a possibility as he couldn't see it from his room.

He pulled on his shoes last before opening his door. If there was one advantage to living in a castle, it was definitely having more than one entrance to a room. His mother and Fairy Godmother were in the sitting room through the door to his right. The door he took now was the one to the left, leading to the hallway. He walked to the end where a window looked out over the city of Auradon to the west. It was then that he saw what Fairy Godmother meant. The tips of the spires of a large castle peeked out of Sherwood Forest, and thick dark storm clouds had gathered over it. That had to be where Mal was, and he was going after her. And if his father was out there, he had to save him too.

He was outside the castle in just minutes, sprinting toward Auradon Prep. The shortest route to Sherwood Forest would be straight through the campus. No guards had seen him in the castle, so as long as he kept up a good pace and kept to the shadows, he would be fine.

Several minutes passed, and he stopped next to the girls' dormitory to catch his breath. The better part of his strength had returned since his long sleep, but he was winded anyhow.

"Ben?"

Ben's chest constricted in fright. He looked up and saw that the window of the room above him was open. "Hi, Evie."

The blue-haired girl was sticking her head out of the open window. "What are you doing?"

There was really no point lying. It was dark now, and most students would be in their dorms or in the city having fun. He wasn't supposed to be there anyhow. "Going to get Mal."

"Oh." Evie cast a glance over her shoulder into the room and mouthed something. She nodded and looked back down at him. "Well, we're coming."

"What? No!"

But Evie had already climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground beside him. Jay and Carlos followed. "Hey, man, how are you?" Jay asked.

"I've been better," Ben said. "You guys need to stay here."

"Nah, we're coming. If anyone can talk some sense into Mal, it's the four of us."

Ben looked at all of their eager faces. "So, you know?"

"That Mal essentially gave up her sanity to save you? Yeah, Fairy Godmother told us," Evie said. "But, seriously, we're coming."

"Fine," he said.

Ben led them through the campus, keeping to the shadows and avoiding groups of people who were milling about in the courtyard between the dorms. After they were safely off campus, they headed through neighboring streets toward Sherwood Forest.

"It's...creepier than I imagined," Evie said.

"Yeah, it looks like Maleficent's place." Carlos froze when both Jay and Evie looked at him. "Sorry. Bad memories, I know."

In front of them was the forest. It stretched out, sprawling like a blanket over the land and a veil before their eyes. Ben could only see a few feet into the treeline before darkness swallowed the light.

"Come on," Ben said and stepped into the forest. "Just keep to the path."

He had been to the forest as a kid. He remembered a distinct path had been wound through the woods for runners and carriages. But the path was gone. Instead, the ground was a thick woven sheet of black thorns that crunched under his feet and tore at his pants. They walked for several minutes before something rustled in the thorn bushes to their right, and Carlos squealed.

"Quiet!" Ben said. The darkness was pressing in. He could only see because his eyes had adjusted enough to allow moonlight to guide him. Now, he searched the area to their right, straining to see into the black void. If Mal could make a castle and change the weather to overcast, could she make monsters too? It wouldn't be a stretch at all.

The bush shook, and a soft animal whine came from near Ben's feet. He looked down and saw a bear cub tangled in the thorns. It grunted at him and pulled at his pants, struggling to get free.

"Aww," Evie cooed.

"What's so cute about a bear?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, I've changed my mind about dogs," Carlos said, "but bears? No way."

"But it's so little," Evie said.

Ben crouched beside the cub and carefully pulled at the thorns. Once the cub was free, it climbed up the leg of his pants. "Hey!" Ben said, stumbling back a step as the new weight settled on his chest. The cub clung to his jacket. "What? What do you want?" he asked, slightly afraid that its gentle nature might be a trick.

But the cub just opened its paw, which had formerly been clamped shut. A ring sat in its palm. Ben's ring.

"Ben, isn't that-" Evie started, but Carlos nudged her.

Ben just stared at the cub as he carefully took his ring. "But, I don't understand."

The cub scurried back to the ground and sat on its hind feet. It looked up at him and grunted. Then it used one paw to tap its other paw. It mimed throwing something.

"Can it...understand us?" Jay asked, his eyes wide.

The cub nodded, and Ben stared at it for a moment longer. Thoughts raced around his head, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The eyes...the eyes looked familiar. It could understand them. It had his ring. And regardless of how the cub had the ring, it at least knew its significance and that it belonged to him.

Ben swallowed. "Dad?"

The cub whined again and nodded. It patted a paw against its chest.

"She did this?"

Again, the cub nodded. This time it almost looked sad.

"She's out of control then," Jay said suddenly. "If she did this...Mal wouldn't do this to your dad."

"I know," Ben said. He looked out into the forest and then back at the cub. "Can you take us to her?"

Instead of nodding, the cub just started walking. As they followed it, they wound deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest. But Ben didn't really notice the distance or time it took. He was too focused on wondering if the Mal he had fallen in love with even still existed.


	17. Chapter 17

Mal was waiting on the front steps of the castle when Ben, Evie, Jay, and Carlos stepped out of the trees accompanied by the bear cub. Since the surprise visit from Beast, she had crafted the magic in the forest to alert her of intruders, and it had paid off. She stood, her hands on her hips as she glared at them. The scepter stood on its point next to her, perfectly balanced and at the ready.

"Geez, I definitely don't like what you've done with the place, Mal," Evie said, looking around and then at Mal.

Mal narrowed her eyes. "I prefer Maleficent. Whatever idiotic intervention you all have planned, I would suggest giving up."

"Now, why would we do that?" Jay laughed. He looked up at the castle and whistled in appreciation. "Nice place."

Mal lifted the scepter and pointed it at Jay. "Thanks, but no thanks. Like I said, you guys are leaving."

"Mal," Ben said. Her gaze immediately went to his face, and her heart clenched uncomfortably. She had been avoiding him up until he had spoken.

She cleared her throat. "It's Maleficent."

"Since when?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, you told us yourself that our parents don't determine who we are," Carlos put in.

"Enough!" Mal snapped. She whipped the head of the scepter around. Two bolts of green lightning shot from the tip, hitting both Jay and Carlos square in the chest.

Evie screamed. Her hands went to her mouth. Jay and Carlos each stumbled and collapsed. Evie shook her head, looking from one to the other. "Jay! Carlos!"

Mal rolled her eyes and turned the scepter on Evie where she stood on the other side of the clearing. "Relax, they're just unconscious."

Ben stepped between the scepter and Evie, putting himself in the direct line of fire. "Mal," he said. "They're your best friends. Don't."

Mal flinched as though she had been slapped. Her hand holding the scepter shook as she hesitated. Ben glanced over his shoulder and said something to Evie that Mal couldn't hear. The blue-haired girl looked again to Jay and Carlos. Then she nodded to Ben. She stooped, picked up the bear cub, and ran off into the forest with it.

Ben turned back to face Mal. "Are you going to shoot me too, Mal?"

"It's Maleficent," Mal said, though she didn't shout it with confidence this time. It was quiet.

Ben walked toward her. "Mal, you and I both know that's not true. You've never been like your mother."

"How would you know? You didn't know me until two weeks ago," Mal snapped.

"This is true," Ben said, approaching the bottom of the steps. "But I know you're good, Mal."

Mal brought the scepter around to point at him. It was aimed directly at his heart.

* * *

Ben only stopped when the head of the scepter was inches from his chest. He could feel the heat radiating from the green orb that topped it. "Are you going to kill me, Mal?"

"If you get in my way," she said, but the scepter wavered an inch as she said it. "And don't think that I won't."

Ben slipped his hands into his pockets. "That's a shame," he said, "because I don't want to live without you."

Mal blinked, and the head of the scepter dipped. He smiled, and stepped up onto the next stair. He instantly found the scepter jabbing into his chest. He winced and stepped back down, a hole burned into his shirt.

Ok, so maybe just talking wouldn't work. He needed to show her what he meant. "So, what's the big plan?" he asked, playing with the ring in his pocket. "Take over Auradon?"

"Precisely. What else would it be?"

Ben shrugged a shoulder. "So, what will happen to me? You think I'll just stand by while you take over and hurt my family?"

"I...well." Mal blinked, appearing as if she was trying to dispel some foreign object from her eyes. She shook her head and jabbed at him with the scepter again. He moved to avoid it.

"Mal, if you want to take over Auradon, you're going to have to kill me," Ben said.

"Wha-what?" Mal blinked and shook her head. The bright green glow of her eyes flickered. "I...Ben..." But the glow returned quickly. Mal clenched her jaw and growled at him. "Fine, if that's how it's going to be."

The orb of the scepter started to glow. Ben withdrew his hand from his pocket. This was his last shot. His father would have said it was insane. But he loved her. He loved her. He chucked the ring up the steps toward Mal. She reached forward as if on instinct to catch it. As she did, time seemed to slow down. The ring spun, turning over and over as it neared her open hand. Then it slid straight onto her index finger. There was a flash of white light, and Ben was knocked off his feet.

* * *

Mal woke up with a searing headache. She blinked open her eyes with a groan. What she saw made her grin. Ben was bent over her, his face beaming against the backdrop of a cloudless star-filled sky. "Ben," she breathed. He was stroking her hair. "Are the horns gone?"

"Yeah. And the castle and all the thorns. Hopefully, Dad's back to normal too. I made Evie take him back to Auradon to get Fairy Godmother," he explained.

"Oh, right," she said. She recalled the arrival of her friends and the flashes of light from the scepter. She gasped then, moving to sit up. Ben pushed her back down so she was still lying on her back. She gripped his arm. "Are Jay and Carlos..."

"They're fine. I sent them back ahead of us."

She immediately relaxed. Her friends were safe. "Good. Thank you." She closed her eyes when he started stroking her hair again. "So, what happened...with the ring?" She stroked her thumb over it as she spoke.

"I don't know. I guess some things just have a magic of their own. I mean, don't you think our love is magic?"

Mal laughed, not even having to open her eyes to tell he was grinning. She smacked his arm lightly. "You're so cheesy."

"But you love me."

She opened her eyes. "Yes. I do. I love you, Ben."

"I love you too, Mal." He bent closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Light tingles ran through her body. His lips felt like silk against her skin. Now that the greed of the power was gone from her mind, she could relax.

"But, really, what happened?" she asked again.

"Honestly? I don't know," Ben said. "After the bright light, your mother's scepter was gone. And then things just started disappearing as if they were made of smoke. Your horns disappeared and then you woke up."

"Just like that?" Mal asked. He nodded. She wondered how it was possible. Her power had held her in a vice grip. It wasn't until Ben had shown up that she had really been able to fully fight it. Ben had said she would have had to kill him to take Auradon, making her and her power directly oppose each other. Had it really been as simple as her remembering what to fight for? Had she locked the power away for good?

"I don't think you'll have to worry about it again," Ben said, smiling. "Just always remember who you want to be, not where you came from."

Mal smiled and nodded. "I will. Besides, you're probably right; our love probably is magic." They both laughed, and Ben helped her to her feet.

He brushed her hair back from her face before kissing her softly. "As long as you believe it is, it will be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N from original upload on fanfiction.net (amended 11/8/2015): Thank you guys for being such fabulous readers! I am so grateful for the feedback I've gotten on this story. I never imagined it getting so many reviews, faves, and follows. It is truly astonishing. However, this is where this story ends, so it is here I must leave you for a bit. I plan on getting some more stories up for you guys soon. If you're interested in knowing exactly when they're posted, I'd suggest giving me an author follow. For now, keep reading and keep loving life.
> 
> Foarrin
> 
> P.S - This story is now complete and will not receive any more updates. If you wish to be notified when I post new things, please put me on your author alert list. Also, this story now has a sequel entitled "Irreversible". Go to my page to find it and read it. :)


End file.
